Witjaksana Soegarda

Witjaksana Soegarda
Ambassador of Indonesia to Denmark
In office
25 April 2000 – August 2003
President
Preceded byAndjar Soedjito Mangkoewijoto
Succeeded byPerwitorini Wijono
Director General of the ASEAN National Secretariat
In office
9 July 1997 – May 2000
Minister
Preceded byRahardjo Jamtomo
Succeeded byAdian Silalahi
Ambassador of Indonesia to Italy
In office
6 February 1995 – 1997
PresidentSuharto
Preceded byMoeslim Sya'roni
Succeeded bySoendaroe Rachmad
Personal details
Born1939 (1939)
Died25 May 2010(2010-05-25) (aged 70–71)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Resting placeJeruk Purut Cemetery
Spouse
Soraya Alatas
​
(m. 1986)​
Children5
Parent
  • Soegarda Poerbakawatja (father)
Relatives
  • Ali Alatas (father-in-law)
  • Paripurna P. Sugarda (nephew)
Occupation
  • Diplomat

Witjaksana Soegarda (1939 – 25 May 2010) was an Indonesian diplomat who served as ambassador to Italy from 1995 to 1997 and to Denmark from 2000 to 2003. A career diplomat, Witjaksana graduated from the University of Indonesia before joining the diplomatic service. His career in the foreign ministry culminated with his appointment as the director general of the ASEAN national secretariat from 1997 to 2000.

Personal life and early career

Witjaksana was born in 1939 as the ninth of twelve children of Soegarda Poerbakawatja, a professor in pedagogical sciences who served as rector in several universities in Indonesia.[1][2] Witjaksana received his bachelor's degree in law from the University of Indonesia.[3] He joined the foreign ministry shortly after his graduation, with his first posting at the permanent mission to UN bodies in Geneva. He was entrusted to handle, among others, Indonesia's membership in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and regarding the Fourth Geneva Convention.[4][5]

Around 1981, Witjaksana, who was assigned to the political section of the permanent mission in New York, met with Soraya Alatas, the eldest daughter of permanent representative Ali Alatas. The two settled down and was married at Ali Alatas's official residence in New York on 13 September 1986.[6] Around this time, Witjaksana, already with the diplomatic rank of first secretary, was reassigned to the foreign ministry as the chief of administration at the directorate of international organizations.[7]

Shortly after Ali became the foreign minister, Witjaksana was appointed as the director of the foreign department's international treaties. During this period, Witjaksana was entrusted as the chief negotiator regarding Indonesia's border in the Timor Gap with Australia. Ali instructed Witjaksana to engage in consultations with Timor professor Herman Johannes, who criticized Indonesia's Timor Gap treaty as he opined that it harmed Indonesia's interests.[8] Following a brief stint as the second-in-charge at the embassy in Austria,[9] Witjaksana returned to the permanent mission in New York as the deputy permanent representative with the diplomatic rank of ambassador.[10] Witjaksana was a vocal opposition on Japan and Germany's membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and raised concerns regarding the possibility the institutional domination by the two nations.[11] He advocated for an expansion of the UNSC with regards to the post-Cold War constellation of power.[12][13]

Ambassador and director-general

On 6 February 1995, Witjaksana was sworn in as ambassador to Italy, with concurrent accreditation to Malta and Albania.[14][15] Witjaksana presented his letters of credence to president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro on 27 April 1995.[16] During his tenure, Witjaksana successfully secured a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development for agricultural and farming projects in the eastern half of Indonesia[17] and oversaw President Suharto's state visit to Italy in November 1996.[18]

After two years in office, on 9 July 1997 Witjaksana became the director general of Indonesia's national ASEAN secretariat, replacing Rahardjo Jamtomo who was appointed as ambassador to the United Kingdom.[19] He received the Star of Service, 1st class from the Indonesian government on 13 August 1998.[20] He was in the position until May 2000.[21] He served for another round of overseas assignment as ambassador to Denmark, with concurrent accreditation to Lithuania, on 25 April 2000[22] until his ambassadorial term ended in August 2003.[23]

After retiring from diplomatic service, Witjaksana joined the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as its international relations director.[24] Soegarda died at the age of 71 in Harapan Kita Hospital in North Kota Bambu, Palmerah, on 25 May 2010 due to a lung disease. He was buried at the Jeruk Purut Cemetery on 26 May.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Meninggal Witjaksana Soegarda". Tempo (in Indonesian). 31 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Menikahkan putrinya". Tempo (in Indonesian). 27 September 1986. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  3. ↑ Irsyam, Tri Wahyuning M. (2000). Tahun emas Universitas Indonesia (in Indonesian). Universitas Indonesia (UI-Press). p. 46. ISBN 978-979-456-207-9.
  4. ↑ GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE [General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade] (PDF). Group "Tropical Products" (Report). General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 18 October 1976. MTN/TP/INF/4. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Liste des delegues [List of delegates] (PDF) (Report). Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts. 12 May 1977. CDDH/Inf.236/Rev.1. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Menikahkan putrinya" [Marrying off his daughter]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 27 September 1986. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Jabatan witjaksana soegarda" [Witjaksana Soegarda's position]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 5 August 1989. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Berebut rezeki di celah timor" [Fighting for fortune in the Timor Gap]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 1 December 1990. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  9. ↑ LIST OF PARTICIPANTS (PDF). General Conference (Report). International Atomic Energy Agency. 20 September 1992. GC(XXXVI)/INF/313. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Memajukan Prinsip Konsensus GNB di DK PBB" [Advancing the Principle of NAM Consensus in the UN Security Council]. Bali Post. 31 December 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Indonesia Elected to UN Security Council". News & Views Indonesia. Vol. 7, no. 66. 1994. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "Restrukturisasi Dewan Keamanan PBB" [Restructuring of the UN Security Council]. Berita Yudha. 25 March 1994. p. 04. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Indonesia asserts the need for UNSC enlargement". Jakarta Post. 6 October 1994. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "Presiden Lantik 16 Dubes Baru Jakarta" [President Installs 16 New Ambassadors in Jakarta]. Bali Post. 7 February 1995. p. 01. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Hasjim, Wisber named ambassadors". Jakarta Post. 7 February 1995. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "PRESIDENZA DELLA REPUBBLICA COMUNICATO Comunicati concernenti la presentazione di lettere credenziali da parte di ambasciatori di Stati esteri (GU Serie Generale n.112 del 16-05-1995)" [PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT Announcements concerning the presentation of credentials by ambassadors of foreign States (GU General Series n.112 of 16-05-1995)]. Gazzetta Ufficiale (in Italian). 16 May 1995. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "RI obtains IFAD loan". Jakarta Post. 22 December 1995. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Presiden Tiba di Roma" [President Arrives in Rome]. Berita Yudha. 15 November 1996. p. 01. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Menlu Alatas: Keanggotaan Kamboja dalam ASEAN Bisa Jadi Ditunda" [Foreign Minister Alatas: Cambodia's Membership in ASEAN May Be Postponed]. Berita Yudha. 10 July 1997. p. 09. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Daftar WNI yang Menerima Anugerah Bintang Jasa Tahun 1964 - 2003" (PDF). Ministry of State Secretariat (Indonesia). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Foreign affairs ministry undergoes reshuffle". Jakarta Post. 25 May 2000. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "President installs 13 Indonesian envoys". Jakarta Post. 26 April 2000. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Sejarah hubungan diplomatik". Embassy of Indonesia in Denmark. Archived from the original on 28 October 2003. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  24. ↑ インドネシア国 省エネルギー普及促進調査 事前調査報告書 [Republic of Indonesia: Preparatory Study Report on the Project for Promoting Energy Efficiency and Conservation] (PDF) (Report). Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Economic Development Department. January 2007. p. 83. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
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