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KN, The Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) of the Ministry of Law held a meeting with the South Centre and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva recently. The meeting discussed the Indonesian Proposal, which promotes fair royalties in the digital space for creators, particularly from developing countries.
Director General of Intellectual Property, Hermansyah Siregar, highlighted the structural challenges in the global royalty system, which is considered unable to keep pace with the development of digital technology and the dominance of platforms. He emphasized that the principle of technological neutrality in international agreements has not fully accommodated the role of algorithms and digital platforms in determining the economic value of a work.
Hermansyah also outlined the framework of the Indonesian Proposal, which includes global governance of royalty collection, international registries and metadata interoperability, equitable remuneration and digital transparency, as well as audits and administrative dispute resolution. Furthermore, Indonesia also presented a geopolitical map that strongly supports it, such as the African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, and the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC).
South Centre Executive Director Carlos Correa commended Indonesia’s initiative and expressed his full support for this proactive step. He also suggested that Indonesia build a coalition with Like-Minded Countries (LMCs) to ensure shared ownership and broader political support for the proposal.
Correa also emphasized the importance of flexibility in the element paper to ensure acceptance by member states, as well as clarity regarding the obligated parties and beneficiaries, namely creators and collective management institutions. Furthermore, cross-border issues, the jurisdiction of digital companies, and the impact on private contracts between industry players were also highlighted in the discussion.
In a separate meeting, UNCTAD expressed its appreciation for Indonesia’s move, which it considered aligned with the economic development interests of developing countries. UNCTAD expressed its readiness to support by facilitating dialogue, providing experts, and providing strategic forums, albeit under a co-funding scheme. UNCTAD also recommended that Indonesia study the Data Governance Working Group framework to strengthen the cross-border metadata interoperability aspect of the proposal.
UNCTAD’s support will focus on diplomacy and international promotion to broaden political support for the Indonesian Proposal. As a follow-up, Indonesia will update the element paper by the end of February 2026 and consolidate support from the developing country coalition through various international forums. The South Centre is scheduled to visit Indonesia on March 23, 2026, to finalize the document, while UNCTAD will prepare a formal support proposal for the implementation of the Indonesian Proposal.
Glembert
