(November 4, 1932 – December 11, 2008)
Mr. Ali Alatas was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and studied at the Academy for the Foreign Service and at the University of Indonesia. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1988-1999. During his tenure as a diplomat with the Foreign Service Department, Mr. Alatas was stationed in Bangkok, Washington D.C., at the United Nations in Geneva and New York, and served as Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and New York.
In addition to acting as chairman of Indonesian delegations to numerous international and regional conferences, including United Nations sessions and meetings, he participated in and chaired many international seminars and symposia on strategic, political and economic issues. His posts have included: President, Amendment Conference Nuclear Test Ban Treaty; Chairman, Non-Aligned Movement; Chairman, Organization of the Islamic Conference; and Chairman of the Group of 77. Mr. Alatas has written many articles about his involvement in intergovernmental processes for national and international publications.
He was a recipient of the Indonesian Order of Merit, Bintag Republik Indonesia, and Bintang Mahaputra Adipradana, as well as other decorations.