Makarim Wibisono heads ASEAN Foundation

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

The Jakarta Post

Makarim Wibisono, a former Indonesian ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, has assumed the post of ASEAN Foundation executive director.

He succeeded Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., a former minister of science and technology of the Philippines, in Jakarta on Monday.

Wibisono had previously served as chairman of the governing board of the Indonesian Council on World Affairs, the health minister’s senior adviser on international cooperation, adviser to the National Commission on Human Rights, and the House of Representatives’ senior adviser on international affairs.

During his career at the Foreign Ministry, Wibisono negotiated and helped finalize the Bali Concord II, which effectively created the ASEAN Community. He led the Indonesian delegation in senior officials’ meetings at ASEAN, ASEAN+3, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and APEC.

While at the UN, Wibisono was chairman of the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights (2005), the Counter-Terrorism Task Force (2003-2004), the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti (1999), Group 77 and China at the UN Economic and Social Council (1998), the 11th Session of the UNCTAD Commission on Investment (2007-2008), the World Peace Assembly 2000 on inter-religions dialogues among civilizations (2000) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Working Group on disarmament (1997-2001).

Wibisono also served as president of the UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).