INDONESIA has called on Pacific nations to unite through culture and creativity to drive sustainable development.
Indonesia’s Minister for Culture, Dr Fadli Zon, said the sea that surrounded the islands of the region had never divided Pacific people.
“It has always connected us,” Zon said as regional ministers and cultural leaders gathered in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara for the opening of the Indonesia–Pacific Cultural Synergy 2025.
“Long before state borders and modern maps our ancestors shared stories held by the wind, exchanged knowledge and wisdom, and built bridges of trust across the ocean,” Zon said.
“We meet as a community of islands bound by our maritime traditions and a shared commitment to nurture culture as the living cause of our people.”
Zon said that same spirit of maritime harmony continued to guide the people of the Pacific.
The gathering forms part of Indonesia’s growing engagement with the Pacific and its effort to position culture as a driver of inclusive growth and regional cooperation.
Reflecting on his earlier travels through the Pacific, Dr Zon recalled the weaving traditions, the navigation charts of the Marshall Islands, and the carved storyboards of other islands.
“Each island carries its own rhythm,” he said, “but together they form the melody of our shared identity.”
He described Indonesia as a “meta-diverse family” home to 280 million people, 17,000 islands, and 1,340 ethnic groups speaking 780 languages,” about ten per cent of the world’s linguistic heritage.
“Eastern Indonesia alone holds more than 300 languages,” he noted.
“It is one of the world’s richest tapestries of culture and knowledge.
“Cultural and creative industries now contribute $USD4.3 trillion, or six per cent of the global economy.
“In Indonesia, our creative sector is projected to add $USD9.8 billion to GDP by 2027, with jobs growing by 14 per cent. This shows that culture is not only our identity, it is also a powerful engine of growth.”
He described young people as “the creative force shaping the future of our culture,” noting that nearly 30 per cent of Indonesians and 45 per cent of the Pacific’s population are under 30.
The minister also warned that climate change threatened island heritage.
“Seventy-three per cent of UNESCO-listed sites are at risk from floods, storms and sea-level rise,” he said.
“For island and coastal communities, this is not only an environmental crisis – it is a cultural emergency that endangers livelihoods, sacred sites and the continuity of knowledge.”
Zon called for stronger cooperation to protect heritage, support artists, and expand access to creative markets and technologies.
Launching IPACS 2025 as a “platform for collective action,” he said it would host residencies, exhibitions and policy dialogues to strengthen cultural networks across Indonesia and Pacific nations.
“Our shared ocean connects more than our shores; it connects our futures.”