The 15th Bali Democracy Forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and titled “Democracy in a Changing World: Leadership and solidarity on Thursday, December 8, 2022
“BDF is one of the major programs of Indonesian diplomacy, promoting the growth of democracy from within,” said the foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah at a press conference in Jakarta.
The activities of the Bali Democracy Forum were carried out to share each country’s experience in democracy. Indonesia took a comprehensive approach by giving space to all parties during the forum.
Faizasha also mentioned that BDF does not discriminate whether participants have embraced democracy or are on the road to democracy. All stakeholders, including civil society, the media, and students, have a space to express themselves.
In addition to expecting a country representative at the minister or deputy minister level and two experts, Indonesia will also introduce supra-regional representatives, especially Latin American representatives who will participate online.
“BDF is Asia-Pacific, to begin with, but this allows us to hear perspectives from different regions,” Faizasyah added.
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Bali Democracy Forum
The Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) was established in 2008 to create a progressive democratic architecture in the Asia-Pacific region. In the past decades, the Forum facilitated dialogues through sharing experiences and best practices in managing diversity that encourages equality, mutual understanding, and respect.
The BDF is expected to continue contributing to the region’s peace and stability, to the promotion of human rights, and especially to further encourage the healthy balance between economic growth and political development.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this year, 57 participating countries and 70 observer countries and international organizations have registered to participate in BDF 2022.
Additionally, this year’s implementation will prioritize physical presence to demonstrate that Bali and Indonesia are ready to welcome guests again after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ukraine and Russia Will Be Participate
Two countries in conflict since February 2022 have been confirmed as participants of the 15th Bali Democracy Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali.
Faizasyah explained that the attending delegates from Russia and Ukraine are expected to come from the level ambassadors of both countries who will be physically present in Bali.
Even though in the context of geopolitical tensions, Faizasyah said that the BDF forum was the right place as the only forum that could present even conflicting countries.
At this forum, BDF is a process that is not patronizing. The participating countries can learn from each other about democratic practices and what they can learn from the political process to be able to respond to the broader needs of their societies.
