Should Indonesia Pay US$1 Billion for Board of Peace Membership?

January 26, 2026 | 11:53 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - United States President Donald Trump reportedly requested US$1 billion (equivalent to Rp16.82 trillion) for members of the Board of Peace (BoP). As it is known, Indonesia has recently joined as one of the members of the international body initiated by Trump.

Citing ABC News, the draft of the institution's budget states that countries that accept the invitation will be given membership for three years. However, permanent membership will be granted to member countries that contribute more than US$1 billion in cash to the Board of Peace in the first year.

Faculty of Economics lecturer at Andalas University, Syafruddin Karimi, stated that Indonesia needs to be critical of the membership fee request. "The US$1 billion fee request should not be blindly followed, but rather this is where Indonesia needs to assert its position openly and consistently," he said to Tempo on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Syafruddin believes that the contribution scheme through fees could turn the peace forum into a membership transaction. According to him, Indonesia should not be trapped in a US$1 billion pay-to-play scheme that reduces the peace forum to a membership transaction.

Instead, the government needs to emphasize that Indonesia's involvement is based on a humanitarian mandate, not to buy influence. He suggested that Indonesia declare that, if necessary, financial contributions can only be discussed within a transparent reconstruction framework. Based on field needs, audited, and channeled through credible mechanisms, not as a membership fee.

Nevertheless, Syafruddin welcomed Indonesia's membership in the Board of Peace. "Because only by sitting at the negotiating table can we transform solidarity into concrete policy influence," he said.

Indonesia officially became a member of the Board of Peace when President Prabowo Subianto signed the BoP charter in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The Board of Peace is an international body initiated by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. It aims to oversee the administration, stabilization, and reconstruction of Gaza during the post-conflict transition.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Indonesia does not need to pay the Board of Peace membership fees. "Basically, the budget contribution is voluntary, and membership in the Board of Peace can still be obtained without fees," said the ministry's spokesperson Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela as quoted from Antara, on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Read: Foreign Minister Confirms Indonesia as Board of Peace Founding Member

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