Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received the Global Citizen Award for his global leadership from an American think tank at a ceremony in New York on Monday.
In his remarks, which were conveyed through a video message at the ceremony, he dedicated the award to all the people of Indonesia.
“President Joko Widodo is the embodiment of the spirit which Indonesia wants to promote to the world, namely the spirit of collaboration, building the (communication) bridge, as well as being part of solutions (for overcoming global issues),” Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, who received the award on behalf of the President, said, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.
Widodo received the award for his leadership as the chair of the 2022 G20 Presidency, efforts to bridge communication between Ukraine and Russia, and support for advancing the global health architecture, fulfillment of human rights, and the implementation of democracy.
The Global Citizen Award is an annual event held by the American think tank, the Atlantic Council, and this year, it has been organized on the sidelines of the implementation of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In the past, the award was presented to a number of figures who were considered to have made concrete contributions to the international community: the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“It is an honor for me to introduce President Joko Widodo. Starting his career as a businessman, then becoming the Mayor of Surakarta (Solo city in Central Java province), President Joko Widodo got into politics to serve the people (and) work with the people,” executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Klaus Schwab, remarked.
Indonesia is holding the G20 Presidency at a time when the world is facing multidimensional challenges, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global supply chain disruptions, hence the presidency requires an extraordinary leader, he said.
“President Jokowi is not only a leader for the Indonesian people, but also a leader who has a global vision who promotes world peace and prosperity,” he added.
In addition to Widodo, the 2022 Global Citizen Award was also presented to Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, chief executive officer of (CEO) Alphabet Inc. and Google, Sundar Pichai, as well as actor and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) special envoy for peace and reconciliation, Forest Whitaker.
Source: Antara News