International Development Cooperation as A Foreign Policy Tool? A Review of Indonesia's Endeavor during the SBY Administration

Abstract

Development cooperation is an important dimension of international relations, thus has become an integral part of the foreign policy of many countries. Indonesia has always aspired to be a global player, despite of its limitations. As SBY has always shown keen interest in foreign policy, during his tenure, Indonesia embarked on a more serious effort to become an active player in international development cooperation. This article discusses the efforts taken by the Government of Indonesia to advance its role in the international development cooperation architecture during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presidency, in particular in the context of development cooperation being carried out as a tool for foreign policy. This article argues that although Indonesia has tended to consider development cooperation as a useful tool of foreign policy, a lot of work is clearly to be done. Development cooperation is not yet closely aligned with the realization of Indonesia's economic objectives. If a country manages to use development cooperation for both strengthening its soft power (image) and promoting more tangible interests, it can be regarded as pursuing a "smart power" strategy.