The United Nations Security Council meeting, which was held on 7 May 2019 in New York, saw most of its delegations attending the meeting in batik – a traditional dress of Indonesia. This was a form of respect that Indonesia holds the UNSC Presidency for May 2019.
António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, wore the traditional tenun and managed to catch the attention of all.
While applauding the UN Secretary General’s initiative, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, said “Before coming for the meeting, the honourable Secretary General came to greet us in the presidential room with a coloured tenun shirt in his hand, without even a bag. It was indeed surprising to see him wearing the shirt in the meeting.”
The Foreign Minister added that her surprise continued when she entered the Security Council chamber and saw at least a dozen participants wearing batik shirts and what made it more noteworthy was that none of them were from Indonesian delegation. She said that it gave a feeling as if all countries had strong and close relations with each other.
Arrmanatha Nasir, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that the tenun and batik clothes worn by the delegates were from their personal collections.
