Asymmetric power relations in multistakeholder initiatives: Insights from the government-instituted Indonesian National Forestry Council

Waves of democratization, which occurred in Indonesia by the end of the 1990s, have provided opportunities to
deepen and diversify broader civil society elements for engagement in formal public policymaking. In the
forestry sector emerged a multistakeholder initiative of the National Forestry Council (Dewan Kehutanan
Nasional/ DKN), which was envisioned to promote good forest governance by engaging the broader public in the
formulation of strategies and policy options to foster intelligent forest management in Indonesia. The DKN was
instituted to create a space for multistakeholder dialogues and learning, and was expected to become an influ­
ential body in national forest-related policy-making processes. Through the application of theories related to
power relations in multistakeholder initiatives, this paper assesses whether the DKN functions as a deliberative
and inclusive platform. The hope and expectation placed upon the DKN were sky- high. The DKN initially
provided opportunities for the spectrum of public/governments, private sector organizations, and civil society
groups to come together on the same table. It also drew support from many institutions at the national level and
donor agencies. However, the DKN has later shown the unequal resources of participants and eventual asym­
metric power relations. As a result, it fully facilitated deliberative processes due to the asymmetric power that
subtly manifested through the stakeholders’ interaction patterns, which were heavily driven by the government.