The 7th ICONZ event was successfully held on November 7-8, 2023, at the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta. It featured speakers from academia, government, and practitioners from both domestic and international backgrounds. The entire event ran smoothly and was attended by more than 600 participants, including students, practitioners, and academics.

The 7th ICONZ event resulted in the following resolutions:

Poverty remains a persistent global issue, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. According to World Bank data, the COVID-19 pandemic's onset in late 2019 resulted in projections of the global extreme poverty rate reaching between 6.7% and 7.0% by 2030, translating to an estimated 573 to 597 million people living in poverty. The pandemic, coupled with inflation, recessions, conflicts, and climate change, is expected to further exacerbate poverty rates, potentially derailing the goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 and setting back global poverty reduction efforts by six to seven years.

In the context of Indonesia, poverty is closely linked to stunting. The Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), conducted by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, revealed a stunting prevalence of 24.4%, indicating that one out of every four Indonesian toddlers experiences stunted growth.

The Indonesian government has set ambitious targets to reduce stunting prevalence to 14% and eliminate extreme poverty by 2024. To achieve these goals, Presidential Regulation No. 72 of 2021 on Accelerating Stunting Reduction and Presidential Instruction No. 4 of 2022 on Accelerating the Eradication of Extreme Poverty were enacted.

Through these regulations, Indonesia calls upon all parties, including the government zakat institution BAZNAS, to collaborate in addressing these pressing social challenges. These goals align with the global philosophy of zakat, which aims to promote community welfare, alleviate poverty, and resolve other socioeconomic issues.

In response to these pressing issues, the 7th Indonesian Conference of Zakat (ICONZ) has adopted the following resolutions:

National Context

1. The 7th ICONZ 2023 and all zakat management stakeholders commit to supporting policies that strengthen national zakat management systems.
2. BAZNAS, the government zakat institution, is tasked with building bridges to economic prosperity by leveraging zakat's potential to drive inclusive and sustainable transformation.
3. BAZNAS is urged to strengthen cooperation and collaboration with government ministries to achieve the target of lifting 1.1 million zakat beneficiaries out of poverty by 2024.
4. The 7th ICONZ 2023 encourages the development of the Indonesian Zakat Blueprint 2025-2045, including a Roadmap for the Development of Zakat Villages Indonesia over the next five to ten years.
5. Zakat management in Indonesia must adopt innovative approaches and strategies to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of zakat programs, utilizing financial technology to reach all generations.

International Context

1. The 7th ICONZ 2023 encourages all zakat institutions worldwide to prioritize global humanitarian concerns, particularly the ongoing occupation of Palestine.
2. The 7th ICONZ 2023 invites Islamic scholars to explore contemporary zakat fiqh issues and seek solutions aligned with sharia principles to address current developments and socioeconomic challenges.
3. To strengthen the role of zakat institutions within governments, particularly in poverty alleviation and welfare enhancement, The 7th ICONZ 2023 encourages the establishment of a GZIC (Government Zakat Institution Consultative) summit in 2024.

Rep. PUSKAS  BAZNAS