The Government of the Republic of Indonesia is strengthening its strategic position at the global level through the institutional reorganization of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO (KNIU). The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, has established Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 31 of 2026 concerning KNIU, which was enacted on May 13, 2026. This regulation serves as a new foundation for strengthening cross-sectoral governance in the fields of education, science, culture, as well as communication and information, while simultaneously following up on the mandate of Article VII of the UNESCO Constitution. Revamping this organizational layout is considered highly crucial to accelerate tactical decision-making processes across various international commission sessions. Through this legal update, related ministries can operate more fluidly in responding to increasingly complex global cultural dynamics. Therefore, the UNESCO commission regulatory restructuring agenda is positioned as a primary stepping stone to improve the effectiveness of national cultural diplomacy on the world stage.
Through this Perpres, KNIU is affirmed as a national-level organization that reports directly and is responsible to the President. The new structure of KNIU is designed to be more integrative with the following composition: the Advisory role is held by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, while the position of Chairperson is entrusted to the Minister of Culture. For the line of Members, this formation is filled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology; the Minister of Communication and Informatics; and the Head of BRIN. The function of the KNIU Secretariat is now transferred ex officio to the organizational unit responsible for diplomacy, promotion, and cultural cooperation within the Ministry of Culture, where the Senior Executive Official in that unit acts as the KNIU Daily Executive. This management refinement aims to eliminate bureaucratic silos that potentially hinder cross-sectoral project coordination.
Acceleration of Soft Power Diplomacy and Transition Guidelines for State Documents
The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, welcomed the enactment of this Perpres as an important milestone for national cultural diplomacy. Unifying the line of coordination under a single ministry fully focused on culture will ease the formulation of strategic programs to promote the richness of local traditions to the international community. With the new rules in effect, the UNESCO commission regulatory restructuring scheme is expected to boost Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy leverage through the optimization of ancient heritage sites scattered across the archipelago.
“Penataan KNIU melalui Peraturan Presiden ini adalah langkah strategis untuk memperkuat posisi Indonesia dalam forum global. Kebudayaan merupakan modal strategis bangsa dalam membangun kerja sama internasional dan memperjuangkan kepentingan nasional di tingkat dunia. Melalui koordinasi yang terintegrasi, kita ingin memastikan suara dan kontribusi Indonesia semakin diperhitungkan dalam agenda UNESCO.”
In accordance with Article 23 of Perpres 31/2026, all KNIU documents and administration must be transferred from the previous ministry to the Ministry of Culture within a maximum period of 2 (two) months. KNIU operational funding will subsequently be allocated through the Ministry of Culture’s state budget, while the funding for sectoral working groups will remain supported by the budgets of the respective ministries/institutions in line with their operational fields. This administrative transition process is strictly monitored to ensure it runs orderly without disrupting ongoing education and science partnership programs with foreign donor agencies.
Sectoral Budget Accountability and Safeguarding Heritage Rights of the Archipelago
The government hopes this restructuring can optimize KNIU’s principles of coordination, integration, synchronization, and collaboration in fighting for national interests effectively. Clear funding channels, which are now focused on the Ministry of Culture’s state budget, are projected to prevent overlapping expenditures on identical heritage patent programs. To study cultural property protection rules, register regional historical heritage, or view updates on national culture promotion programs, the public can directly access the official Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia portal as the legitimate state administrative channel. Providing transparent information on this site becomes one of the main supporting pillars for the success of the UNESCO commission regulatory restructuring program so that it can be fully understood by the public.
Implementing a professional work system within this organization will serve as primary social capital in strengthening cooperative relationships with global strategic partner countries. The involvement of various ministers in the member structure ensures that every negotiation material brought to the UN general assembly has been deeply reviewed from legal and sociological aspects. Consequently, the arguments presented by the Indonesian delegation in defending intangible cultural heritage ownership rights will possess solid legal standing. The successful implementation of the UNESCO commission regulatory restructuring agenda will ultimately be measured by how many regional cultural preservation programs receive official recognition at the international level.
