Career
Sidharto's career in the foreign ministry began in March 1992. He was assigned to Indonesia's mission in the United Nations,where he became Indonesia's delegate to UN's special committee of peacekeeping operations under the United Nations General Assembly. [3] He then returned to the foreign ministry,serving as deputy director (chief of subdirectorate) for ASEAN political affairs. [4] From 2004 to 2006,he served as first secretary at the embassy in Canberra,where he was responsible for managing and promoting Indonesia-Australia economic relations,including trade,investment,tourism,student exchanges,and development cooperation. He returned to the Indonesian mission for United Nations in New York as first secretary for political affairs from November 2006 to February 2009,serving as a delegate to the UN Security Council. In this role,he was in charge of African issues,including drafting Indonesia's positions,attending Security Council meetings,negotiating decisions,and representing Indonesia on matters such as regarding humanitarian affairs in Africa. [5]
From March 2009 to June 2010,Suryodipuro held the position of deputy director for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),where he was responsible for Indonesia's preparation and participation in processes under the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting,including internal coordination,drafting positions,and attending meetings. Subsequently,from May 2010 to November 2014,he was promoted as director for Asia Pacific and Africa intra-regional cooperation,leading and coordinating inter-agency work for Indonesia's chairmanship of APEC in 2013. [6] [7] During this time,he was instrumental in serving the Indonesian delegation and formulating its position in various regional forums such as the South-West Pacific Dialogue (SWPD),Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC),New Asia Africa Strategic Partnership (NAASP),Pacific Island Forum (PIF),Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI),and Asia Middle East Dialogue (AMED). [8] He also served as the Secretary to the National Committee on Policy for APEC in the APEC's 2nd Senior Officials' Meeting, [9] leading a team that coordinated and formulated the APEC Leaders' Bali Declaration in 2013,which brought Indonesia into closer engagement with the island countries of the Western Pacific. [10] [11]
Following this,he was appointed deputy ambassador to the United States from December 2014 to July 2017. In an interview,he described the relationship between Indonesia and the United States as "asymmetrical but not unequal," highlighting the significant economic disparity and the importance of mutual benefit between both nations. [2] He oversaw efforts to expand collaboration between the two countries through bilateral exchanges and global joint efforts to counter extremism. He proposed the creation of a council of religion and pluralism to foster moderation and cooperation across various sectors. [12]
In November 2016,Sidharto was nominated by President Joko Widodo for ambassador to India and Bhutan. [13] He passed an assessment by the House of Representative's first commission the next month [14] and was installed on 18 May 2017. [15] He presented his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind of India on 23 August 2017 [16] and to King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan on 15 November 2017, [17] becoming Indonesia's inaugural ambassador for the latter since bilateral relations was established in 2011. [18] Under his leadership,the embassy organized a film festival to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and India. [19] For his efforts in protecting Indonesian citizens overseas,in 2020 he was awarded the Hassan Wirajuda Award in the head of mission category. [20]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the country,Sidharto posted an image of him doing push-ups and wrote "I'll take my chances,I'll rely on building my own immunity rather than be vaccinated for COVID-19 or any kind of other viral infections." His post sparked controversy as he was viewed as having an anti-vaccination stance,in contrast with the president and foreign minister who have publicly endorsed vaccine development and accessibility. The foreign ministry distanced itself from Sidharto's views,describing them as personal and not representative of official policy. [21]
Upon serving as ambassador,Sidharto returned to Indonesia and assumed office as the director general for ASEAN cooperation in the foreign ministry on 27 October 2020. [22] Two months into his office,a presidential decree on the new organization of the ministry was issued,and Sidharto re-assumed office on 18 August 2021. [23] As director general,Sidharto was designated as Indonesia's senior officials meeting leader. [24] During Indonesia's chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2023,Sidharto led the senior officials meeting,which was held in Labuan Bajo. The meeting discussed on the decision-making process in times of crisis [25] and on strengthening ASEAN's economic resilience and regional significance. [26] A second round of senior officials meeting,held in September 2023 during the summit,focused on enhancing its institutional capacity,as well as matters relating to food security,economic resilience,promotion of blue economy,and solidifying ASEAN as a growth hub. [27]
In August 2024,Sidharto was nominated by President Joko Widodo as the permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. [28] However,he was never summoned for a fit and proper test by the House of Representatives for the office. [29] After Joko Widodo was replaced by Prabowo Subianto,Sidharto was nominated as the permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. [30] His nomination was approved by the House of Representatives in a session on 8 July 2025. [31]
