Enforcing Law in Undelimited Maritime Areas: Indonesian Border Experience

Abstract

As the largest archipelagic State in the world, Indonesia has a very long coastline and is bordered by ten countries. Irrespective of its geographical condition, a genuine delimitation of its maritime boundaries is crucial for Indonesia. However, maritime boundary delimitation often takes considerable time. One problem that often arises during maritime boundary delimitation negotiations is determining the extent to which coastal States can enforce their national law in areas with undelimited maritime boundaries. This article analyses the national and international regulations, as well as Indonesian practice, of maritime law enforcement in areas with undelimited maritime boundaries and Indonesia‘s current practices in resolving maritime-related issues.