On 27 June 2024, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Indonesia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Development Planning (BAPPENAS) and civil society partners, organised the EU-Indonesia Civil Society Forum. The aim of the event was to promote Indonesia’s development plans and ambitions in the field of green development.
During the Forum, the EU Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Denis Chaibi, and civil society actors launched four new EU-supported projects. These initiatives are designed to strengthen civil society and focus on energy transformation, sustainable land use, social forestry, and creating an enabling environment for civil society organizations.
WWF Indonesia and Auriga Nusantara are implementing the first project, ‘Enabling civil society contribution to prosperous, equitable and sustainable development in the energy transition and sustainable land use.’ This three-year project will support local civil society organizations to promote responsible land use management and energy transition in Jambi, Central Kalimantan, South East, and Central Sulawesi.
The second project, “CSOs Standing Shoulder to Shoulder in Defense of Forest Livelihoods,” is led by KKI Warsi, Aksi!, WALHI, and IUCN NL. This initiative supports indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in Jambi, Bengkulu, and West Sumatra in sustainable forest management and policy advocacy for improved livelihoods and forest sustainability.
The third project, “Strengthening Civic Space and Improving the Environment and Capacity of Local Networked CSOs to Promote Equitable and Inclusive Environmental Transition in Indonesia (CO-EVOLVE 2)”, is a collaboration between Penabulu Foundation, ASEAN Youth Forum, Indonesian Data Journalism Network (IDJN) and Lokadaya Nusantara Network Foundation. This project focuses on strengthening the networks of civil society organizations with a particular focus on gender and youth perspectives.
The fourth project, “Building an Enabling Environment and Strong Civil Society in Indonesia (BASIS),” involves YAPPIKA-ActionAid and SEPAHAM. It is being implemented in Java, Kalimantan, and Sumatra to support the development of civil society organizations, capacity building, and effective monitoring and advocacy.
The Forum also launched the first Youth Sounding Board (YSB) in Indonesia, which highlights youth participation as a key factor in the country’s development. This initiative aims to strengthen youth participation and cooperation in higher education and to complement the ERASMUS+ program, which supports scholarships and partnerships in education.
The YSB consists of 15 young people from different regions of Indonesia and serves as a youth advisory group to the EU Delegation to Indonesia. This effort reflects the EU’s commitment to supporting Indonesia’s ecological transition and sustainable development through collaborative projects and inclusive civil society engagement.
