Indonesia Champions Global Partnerships via World Mangrove Center at UN Forum

RRI.CO.ID, News York - During the 21st United Nations Forum on Forests at the UN Headquarters, Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, underscored the nation's pivotal role in global environmental stability. Holding approximately 23 percent of the world’s total mangrove area, the largest in the world, Indonesia has positioned these ecosystems as critical assets for climate action, coastal resilience, and biodiversity conservation.

Through the World Mangrove Center (WMC) initiative, Indonesia is inviting the international community to strengthen global partnerships and expand collaboration in research and innovation to ensure sustainable restoration efforts.

Minister Antoni highlighted that roughly 80 percent of Indonesia’s mangrove ecosystems fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Forestry. This administrative oversight allows for a centralized commitment to utilizing mangrove potential as a primary pillar in the fight against climate change.

"Indonesia welcomes collaboration through the World Mangrove Center to advance sustainable mangrove management at a global level. With nearly a quarter of the world's mangroves, we want to ensure this ecosystem becomes a main pillar in mitigating climate change and protecting coastal areas," the Minister said on Monday, May 11, 2026, as quoted by the ministry's official website.

The World Mangrove Center is designed to function as a center of excellence, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, high-level research, and international funding. Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, Dyah Murtiningsih elaborated on the operational side of the initiative, noting that Indonesia is developing research and restoration centers at various field observatory stations across the archipelago.

Furthermore, the center aims to facilitate a robust knowledge exchange to accelerate global restoration by sharing Indonesia's successful methodologies with other nations. Ultimately, the initiative focuses on driving a positive community impact by ensuring that restoration efforts provide tangible economic and ecological benefits to coastal communities worldwide.

The Minister's presence at the UN highlights that Indonesia is moving beyond national conservation to actively drive nature-based solutions on a global scale. Accompanying the Minister were the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, the Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, and the Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation. ***