Ghafur Akbar Dharmaputra

Ghafur Akbar Dharmaputra
Dharmaputra in 2000
Ambassador of Indonesia to Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia
In office
17 November 2021 – 12 May 2022
PresidentJoko Widodo
Preceded byYuddy Chrisnandi
Succeeded byArief Muhammad Basalamah
Deputy for Women and Children Protection to the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture
In office
23 April 2018 – 6 August 2020
Acting until 6 May 2019
MinisterPuan Maharani
Muhadjir Effendy
Preceded bySudjatmiko
Succeeded byFemmy Eka Kartika Putri (Youth, Women, and Children Quality Improvement)
Personal details
Born(1964-02-16)February 16, 1964
Bandung, Indonesia
DiedMay 12, 2022(2022-05-12) (aged 58)
Jakarta, Indonesia
SpouseEndah Purniawati
Children2
Parents
  • Garnawan Dharmaputra (father)
  • Erna Farida (mother)
Alma materSebelas Maret University (S.E.)
University of Wollongong (M.Com)
Awards
Hassan Wirajuda Award (2023)

Ghafur Akbar Dharmaputra (16 February 1964 – 12 May 2022) was an Indonesian diplomat who served as ambassador to Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia from 2021 until his death in 2022. A graduate of the Sebelas Maret University, he served as the director of economic and environment development in the foreign ministry and various senior positions within the coordinating ministry for human and cultural development.

Early life and education

Ghafur was born in Bandung on 16 February 1964[1] to Garnawan Dharmaputra, a career diplomat who served as ambassador to Syria from 1981 to 1984, and Erna Farida. Ghafur had four siblings.[2] He studied economics at the Sebelas Maret University from 1982 until graduating in 1986, with the distinction as the best and fastest student to graduate from his cohort. He was also active in Lingkar Studi Pembangunan (LSP) FE UNS, his major's academic forum; Nurul Huda, the college's mosque; as well as within the Muslim Students' Association.[3][4] He later received a master's degree in commerce, with a honours distinction, from the University of Wollongong in 1993.[1]

Diplomatic career

Ghafur began his career within the foreign ministry in 1988 as a staff at the directorate for multilateral economic cooperation. In 1993, he received his first overseas assignment at the economic section of the embassy in Mexico. He began his tenure with a diplomatic rank of third secretary before promoted to second secretary. He then returned to the foreign ministry in 1996 for a three-year stint as the chief of World Trade Organization section within the directorate for multilateral economic cooperation.[1]

Ghafur returned for another round of foreign posting at the economic section of the embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1999 with the diplomatic rank of first secretary. He was then promoted to counsellor before returning in 2003. He was subsequently appointed as the deputy director within the ASEAN economic cooperation directorate, serving until 2006. Afterwards, he was stationed at the embassy in Cairo for economic affairs with the initial diplomatic rank of counsellor, earning a promotion to minister-counsellor sometime during his duty there.[1]

Ghafur became the foreign ministry's director for economic and environment development on 24 April 2008.[5] Early in his term, Ghafur represented Indonesia as a delegate to the 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference.[6] He the became Indonesia's consul general in New York on 21 December 2011,[7] officially beginning his duties with exequatur on 13 February 2012.[8] Ghafur's term in office ended on 12 January 2016.[9]

Coordinating ministry

On 22 December 2016, coordinating minister for human and cultural development Puan Maharani appointed Ghafur as her advisor (expert staff) for post-2015 implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in Indonesia.[10] Ghafur was then entrusted to run the day-to-day duties of the coordinating ministry's deputy for women and children protection on 23 April 2018, before being appointed as the acting officeholder on 2 May.[11] Upon passing an assesment process, he was permanently appointed for the position on 6 May 2019.[12] As deputy, Ghafur announced the launching of a website for pre-marriage counseling by the government[13] and encouraged companies to receive Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification to ensure gender equality within their workplace.[14] Ghafur also played a role in coordinating different government agencies in formulating a system to prevent and handle violence against children.[15]

Ghafur returned to his prior advisory role as the minister's advisor for sustainable development on 6 August 2020.[16] In this role, Ghafur played a role in introducing economic education from the government to pre-married couples.[17] Businessman Jaya Suprana in 2021 recommended president Joko Widodo to appoint Ghafur for a national level role responsible in supervising the implementation of SDGs in government agencies.[18]

Ambassador to Ukraine

On 4 June 2021, Ghafur was nominated by President Joko Widodo as ambassador to Ukraine, with concurrent accreditation to Armenia and Georgia.[19] His nomination was approved by the House of Representatives first commission after passing an assessment on 12 July 2021[20] and was installed as ambassador on 17 November 2021.[21] He presented copies of his credentials to Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Dmytro Senik on 15 February 2022, nine days before the Russo-Ukrainian war commenced.[22] He retained the status of ambassador-designate throughout his entire ambassadorial term, as he never officially presented his credentials to any heads of state under his jurisdiction.

At the time of his arrival in Ukraine, Ghafur was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Against his physician's recommendation to rest for a total recovery, Ghafur continued his ambassadorial duties, planning to continue his cancer therapy in Ukraine.[3] Ghafur led the coordination of evacuation for Indonesian citizens in Ukraine shortly after the start of the war, with Ghafur personally accompanying every wave of evacuation. A total of more than 100 Indonesian citizens were evacuated to Poland and Romania.[23]

After a month of evacuation, Ghafur and his nine-men team temporarily relocated to Slovakia. He was then transferred to Indonesia to receive intensive care at Medistra Hospital due to the extreme fatigue he faced from coordinating the evacuations.[23] In the midst of his treatment, he continued to lead embassy meetings online.[3] He eventually died on the night of 12 May 2022 at the hospital[24] and was buried at the Tanah Kusir Cemetery the next day.[23] According to former deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal, Ghafur presented reports of his work to the foreign ministry's director general for America and Europe Umar Hadi just several minutes before his death.[25] He posthumously received the Hassan Wirajuda award, the foreign ministry's supreme award, for citizen protection in January 2023.[26]

Personal life

Ghafur was married to Endah Purniawati, with whom he had a daughter and a son.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Copenhagen Accord: status hukum, pelajaran-pelajaran penting dalam negosiasi perubahan iklim, dan posisi Indonesia ke depan, Bandung, 1 April 2010 : focus group discussion (in Indonesian). Badan Pengkajian dan Pengembangan Kebijakan, Kementerian Luar Negeri RI. 2010. p. 75.
  2. ↑ Dharmaputra, Garnasih Aseanti (April 2019). Language Policy, Ideology and Language Attitudes: A Study of Indonesian Parents and their Choice of Language in the Home (PDF) (Doctor of Philosophy thesis). University of Sydney. p. iii. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Maulamin, Taufan (13 May 2022). "Surat Telat untuk Ghafur Akbar, Pejuang yang Berpulang" [Late Letter for Ghafur Akbar, the Fighter Who Passed Away]. Inilah Sulsel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Wulandari, Afifa Enggar (13 May 2022). "Dubes RI untuk Ukraina yang Meninggal Dunia Ternyata Lulusan UNS" [Indonesian Ambassador to Ukraine Who Passed Away Turns Out to be a UNS Graduate]. Espos.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Menlu Lantik 12 Pejabat Baru". Department of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. 24 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "RI to send huge delegation to climate meeting". The Jakarta Post. November 19, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Dubes dan Konsul baru". Tabloid Diplomasi. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Foreign Consular Offices in the United States: Spring/Summer 2012 (PDF). United States Department of State. April 20, 2012. p. 59. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  9. ↑ "SERAH TERIMA JABATAN KONJEN RI NEW YORK" [Handover of the Position of Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York]. Facebook. KJRI New York. January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ humaspmk (December 22, 2016). "Menko PMK Lantik Pejabat Eselon I, II, III, dan IV di Lingkungan Kemenko PMK" [Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Inaugurates Echelon I, II, III, and IV Officials within the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture]. Kemenko PMK. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ Laporan Kinerja Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Pembangunan Manusia dan Kebudayaan Tahun 2018: Staf Ahli Menteri Bidang SDGs Pasca 2015 [2018 Performance Report of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture: Minister's Expert Staff for Post-2015 SDGs] (PDF) (Report). Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Pembangunan Manusia dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia. 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  12. ↑ humas (May 6, 2019). "Menko PMK Lantik Pejabat Eselon I dan II" [Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Inaugurates Echelon I and II Officials]. Kemenko PMK. Archived from the original on April 30, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Kemenko PMK Akan Luncurkan Website Bimbingan Pra Nikah" [Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture to Launch Pre-Marriage Guidance Website]. Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital. October 24, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  14. ↑ Gewati, Mikhael (October 19, 2018). Gewati, Mikhael (ed.). "Menuju Kesetaraan Gender, Kemenko PMK Dukung Sertifikasi EDGE" [Towards Gender Equality, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture Supports EDGE Certification]. Kompas.com. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  15. ↑ dorman, Anam (November 15, 2019). "PMK Siapkan FDN Sistem Pencegahan dan Penanganan KTA" [Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture Prepares FDN System for Prevention and Handling of Violence Against Children]. El John News. Archived from the original on April 29, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ Kemenko PMK [@kemenkopmk] (9 August 2020). "Selamat menikmati hari Minggu #SahabatPMK" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 April 2026 – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ "Kemenko PMK Akan Bekali Calon Pengantin dengan Pengetahuan Ekonomi" [Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture to Provide Prospective Spouses with Economic Knowledge]. kumparanNEWS (in Indonesian). 3 September 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Suprana, Jaya (2021-02-03). Bingungologi Kebencian (in Indonesian). Elex Media Komputindo. ISBN 978-623-00-2014-8.
  19. ↑ Teresia, Ananda (25 June 2021). Saleh, Fahrian (ed.). "Daftar 33 Calon Dubes Pilihan Jokowi: Fadjroel, Rosan, hingga Agus Widjojo" [List of 33 Ambassador Candidates Chosen by Jokowi: Fadjroel, Rosan, and Agus Widjojo]. Kumparan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  20. ↑ Putri, Budiarti Utami (12 July 2021). "DPR Gelar Uji Kelayakan Calon Dubes Tertutup, Ini Daftar Namanya" [Parliament Holds Closed Fit and Proper Test for Ambassador Candidates, Here's the List]. Tempo.co (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  21. ↑ Janti, Nur (18 November 2021). "Jokowi inaugurates 12 more ambassadors, military chiefs". The Jakarta Post. Jakarta. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "Дмитро Сенік прийняв копії вірчих грамот від новопризначеного посла Індонезії в Україні" [Dmytro Senik received copies of credentials from the newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia to Ukraine]. mfa.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 "Indonesia's envoy to Ukraine passes away after massive evacuation effort". The Jakarta Post. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ghafur Akbar Dharmaputra, Indonesia's ambassador to Ukraine, passes away". Coconuts Jakarta. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "Perjuangan Dubes RI untuk Ukraina Evakuasi WNI dalam Kenangan" [The Struggle of the Indonesian Ambassador to Ukraine to Evacuate Indonesian Citizens in Memory]. detikNews. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  26. ↑ Rahmasari, Diananda (10 January 2023). Mahayana, Mellani Eka (ed.). "22 Orang Dan Lembaga Sabet Hassan Wirajuda Award" [22 People and Institutions Win the Hassan Wirajuda Award]. RM.id. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  27. ↑ State, United States Department of (2002). Diplomatic List. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 202.
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