In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 1910
- Birthplace
- Indonesia
- Country
- Indonesia
- Nationality
- Indonesian
- Known for
- Serving as ASEAN’s second secretary-general during a short transition in 1978
- ASEAN office
- 2nd Secretary-General
- Term
- 19 February – 30 June 1978
- Earlier role
- Indonesian representative in Geneva
- Specialisation
- Foreign economic affairs
Why this life matters
Umarjadi’s short term preserved institutional continuity during the Secretariat’s earliest rotation and links ASEAN history to Indonesia’s post-independence multilateral diplomacy.
Timeline
Key moments
Worked in foreign economic affairs
Held senior responsibilities in Indonesia’s management of external economic relations.
Represented Indonesia in Geneva
Served as permanent representative to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva.
Served on the ILO Governing Body
Represented Indonesia in the governing structure of the International Labour Organization.
Joined ASEAN dialogue work
Participated as an Indonesian director-general in ASEAN’s dialogue with New Zealand.
Led the ASEAN Secretariat
Served as the second secretary-general during the transition from H.R. Darsono to Malaysia’s turn in the rotation.
A multilateral economic diplomat
Umarjadi Notowijono built a career around Indonesia’s foreign economic relations. United Nations and International Labour Organization records place him among the country’s senior representatives in Geneva during a period when Indonesia was rebuilding its participation in multilateral institutions.
By the late 1970s he was also taking part in ASEAN’s expanding external dialogue programme. That work joined national economic diplomacy to the young association’s effort to build regular relations with partners outside Southeast Asia.
A brief but important ASEAN transition
Umarjadi became the second Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat on 19 February 1978. ASEAN’s official roster records a term of just over four months, ending on 30 June when the office rotated to a Malaysian nominee.
The short tenure did not coincide with a new institutional charter or major redesign. Its importance lies in continuity: the permanent Secretariat was still less than two years old, and a successful leadership transfer helped normalise national rotation around a shared regional office.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Umarjadi Notowijono
- Who is Umarjadi Notowijono?
- Umarjadi Notowijono is a second Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat. Umarjadi’s short term preserved institutional continuity during the Secretariat’s earliest rotation and links ASEAN history to Indonesia’s post-independence multilateral diplomacy.
- What is Umarjadi Notowijono best known for?
- Umarjadi Notowijono is best known for serving as ASEAN’s second secretary-general during a short transition in 1978.
- When and where was Umarjadi Notowijono born?
- Umarjadi Notowijono was born in 1910 in Indonesia.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
