Vol. VI / No. 7 | December 2025

Authors:
Ali A. Wibisono, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of International Security Studies, Department of International Relations, Universitas Indonesia

Summary

Cyber diplomacy is a critical tool for managing digital opportunities and risks, extending statecraft into the borderless virtual domain. Indonesia’s approach is spearheaded by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), which focuses on national security and technical capacity, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), which promotes international law and a peaceful cyberspace. Globally, Indonesia supports the UN’s efforts, including the transition to a permanent “Global Mechanism” for dialogue on ICTs in international security. However, the nation faces a strategic gap: despite extensive diplomatic cooperation, including agreements with countries like China focused on capacity building, Indonesia remains a primary target for state-sponsored cyberattacks, such as those attributed to the China-linked Winnti APT. This highlights that “soft” diplomatic closeness has not prevented “hard” cyber aggression. To bridge this gap, the article recommends strategic reforms: deepening multilateral engagement by formally detailing its stance on international cyber law , strengthening the domestic legal framework with a comprehensive Cyber Security Bill , and shifting focus from reactive defense to proactive threat hunting and technical attribution. Ultimately, a “Whole-of-Nation” approach is mandatory to achieve digital sovereignty.

Keywords: Cyber Diplomacy, Digital Sovereignty, Cyber Attribution, Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), Indonesia

Vol. VI / No. 5 | July 2025

Authors:
Tora Pandito, BSc Graduate from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Brawijaya, and former Researcher at United Nations Association

Summary
 Indonesia’s socioeconomic progress has been marked by declining poverty alongside with rising inequality. One promising policy gaining traction in developed countries is the concept of Baby Bonds, which provides publicly funded trust accounts for every child at birth, offering greater financial support to those from lower-income families. By helping households gradually accumulate assets, Baby Bonds could enhance social mobility and reduce intergenerational poverty. However, successfully adapting this policy to Indonesia will require careful attention to regional disparities, low financial literacy, and unequal access to financial services. Effective implementation will also depend on strong regulations, targeted financial education, and investments in inclusive financial infrastructure. Sustainable financing will call for tax reforms that raise tax revenue without overburdening existing taxpayers, while international experience and pilot programs can offer practical guidance. Complementary policies and ongoing evaluation will help tailor Baby Bonds to Indonesia’s context, and if thoughtfully designed and supported, this initiative could foster greater socioeconomic inclusion and a more resilient, equitable future.

Keywords: Baby Bonds, socioeconomic inequality, political economy, poverty reduction

Vol. VI / No. 4 | July 2025

Authors:
Christopher Paller Gerale, Student at State University of Malang, Indonesia

Summary
The Philippines occupies a geostrategically pivotal position in the Indo-Pacific, yet its defence posture reveals a profound lack of harmony between declaratory principles and operational conduct. While it concurrently espouses a doctrine of independent foreign policy, Manila amplifies its security alignment with Washington—manifested through the expansion of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), increased joint military exercises such as the annual Exercise Balikatan (Shoulder-to-shoulder), and the revival of strategic interoperability—and sustains economic entanglements with Beijing. This split in strategic direction underscores a deeper phenomenon of geopolitical dualism, wherein Manila’s external alignments and internal narratives remain discordant. Rather than a calibrated hedging strategy, the Philippines exhibits ad hoc and reactive behaviour, shaped by elite fragmentation, institutional incoherence, and enduring postcolonial imbalances rooted in colonial history. In the context of an increasingly volatile U.S.-China strategic competition, such dissonance not only compromises national security credibility but also exacerbates the risks of entrapment, abandonment, strategic marginalization, and regional instability in regards to ASEAN Centrality. Rectifying this incoherence necessitates a fundamental rearticulation of Philippine grand strategy—one that is grounded in sovereign agency, coherent threat perception, and a long-term vision for its role within the regional security architecture.

Keywords: Geopolitical Dualism; Strategic Dissonance; Philippine Defence Posture; the Philippines; US-China Rivalry