Indonesia’s Transition as an Emerging Donor: The Case Of Indonesian AID in SDG-Related Sector

Bintang Corvi Diphda; I Wayan Raditya Wikantara; Andrew Elnathan; Refa Defanda Witanto; Siti Ni'mah Milly Otolomo; Sarah Marwah Azzahra; Muhammad Rafi Anwar

doi:10.24198/sosiohumaniora.v28i1.70328

Indonesia’s Transition as an Emerging Donor: The Case Of Indonesian AID in SDG-Related Sector

Bintang Corvi Diphda, I Wayan Raditya Wikantara, Andrew Elnathan, Refa Defanda Witanto, Siti Ni'mah Milly Otolomo, Sarah Marwah Azzahra, Muhammad Rafi Anwar

Abstract

This article examines how and why Indonesia has transitioned toward an emerging donor role in South-South Cooperation through Indonesian AID programs in SDG-related sectors. While existing studies have discussed Indonesia’s South-South Cooperation or foreign aid motives, less attention has been given to how Indonesian AID reflects a broader transition within the contemporary South-South Cooperation landscape. Using a qualitative single case study design and desk review covering the period from 2015 to 2025, this article analyzes policy documents, regulations, institutional reports, gray literature and academic studies. The findings show that Indonesia’s transition occurred through the institutionalization of Indonesian AID, which provides the funding mechanism, legal framework and program modalities for a more organized donor provider role. Indonesian AID programs thus demonstrate how SDG-related sectors serve as the empirical site of this transition. The shift is driven by Indonesia’s rising international status, institutional learning from earlier SSC limitations, the SDGs as a global development framework and strategic adaptation between solidarity and national interests. However, this emerging donor role remains incomplete due to broad sectoral dispersion, uneven monitoring and evaluation, limited impact measurement and continuing tension between SSC principles and strategic objectives. The article contributes to debates on South-South Cooperation by showing that the emerging donor transition is gradual, institutional and still contested.

Keywords

South-South cooperation; Indonesian AID; SDGs; emerging donor; foreign aid

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/sosiohumaniora.v28i1.70328