RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has officially been designated as a WHO-Listed Authority (WLA) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The designation was published on WHO’s official website in late December 2025.

The announcement was delivered during the WHO Listed Authority (WLA) Extravaganza “The Power of Influence” held in Jakarta on Thursday, 29 January 2026, which was attended by international stakeholders. The designation was publicly announced as a form of recognition of Indonesia’s regulatory system for medicines and food products, which has met WHO’s global standards.

The WLA status places Indonesia’s BPOM on par with drug and food regulatory authorities from developed countries. This achievement also marks the strengthening of Indonesia’s role in global health diplomacy.

Head of BPOM, Taruna Ikrar, said the achievement reflects significant improvements in the quality of the national regulatory system. According to him, Indonesia has even surpassed several countries with large pharmaceutical industries, such as China and India.

“Indonesia is the first country to get WHO-Listed Authority as a middle-income country,” Taruna Ikrar conveyed.

WHO-Listed Authority status is a prestigious recognition granted by WHO after an assessment based on nine stringent criteria. These criteria include product oversight, certification processes, and clinical trial supervision in accordance with international standards.

Out of 193 United Nations member states, only around 30 countries have achieved WHO-Listed Authority status. Most of these countries are classified as high-income nations.

Taruna Ikrar added that the achievement serves not only as global recognition but also as an instrument of health diplomacy. “At the very least, this serves as our global health diplomacy,” he said.