Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The United Nations (UN) on Monday (Dec 14) passed a resolution on global health and foreign policy initiated by Indonesia, with the support of 181 U.N. member states, according to a written statement from RI’s Foreign Ministry received by Indonesia Window here on Tuesday.

The resolution which is called Global Health and Foreign Policy: Strengthening Health System Resilience through Affordable Healthcare for All emphasizes the importance of accessible and affordable health services to strengthen the global health resilience system.

The resolution was facilitated by Indonesia together with South Africa, Brazil, Norway, France, Senegal and Thailand.

"This resolution is a clear evidence of Indonesia's progress in fighting for global solidarity regarding health cooperation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is also an important breakthrough because access to affordable health services is the concern of all parties," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said.

She added that the resolution was also in line with Indonesia's role as the chairman of the Global Health and Foreign Policy Initiative, which actively supports global efforts to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative has seven members, namely, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, France, Senegal and Thailand.

Indonesia is the group leader in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Triansyah Djani, said the supports for Indonesia's initiatives was a reflection of the country’s active role in the global health sector, including Indonesia's efforts to promote cooperation among countries in overcoming COVID-19.

In that resolution, the Indonesian government asked the U.N. member countries to strengthen an affordable national health service system, make innovative policies related to health care financing, and be non-discriminatory in overcoming the pandemic impact.

The resolution also encourages the governments to partner with the business world, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and academics, and appreciates health workers.

Given the broad impact of the pandemic, Indonesia expected that U.N. member countries keep monitoring the global production chain and reaffirming the importance of working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in overcoming the pandemic that has yet to end.

Reporting by Indonesia Window