Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Transportation has said that the implementation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is essential to strengthen Indonesia's position as the world's maritime axis.
"With UNCLOS, Indonesia can bolster control over its territorial waters, manage its natural resources more effectively and sustainably, and protect its ecosystem from the damage caused by human activities," the ministry's director general of sea transportation, Antoni Arif Priadi, said in a ministry statement on Tuesday.
While opening an information dissemination event on UNCLOS implementation in Jakarta on Monday, he underlined that Indonesia ratified the convention through Law Number 17 of 1985.
UNCLOS implementation will allow Indonesia to claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) up to 200 nautical miles from its baselines, which will give it exclusive rights to explore natural resources within the zone.
However, he explained, there are several major challenges to implementing the convention.
"The evolution of transnational crimes such as illegal fishing, unsustainable exploitation of marine resources, and overlapping claims with neighboring countries are issues that must be resolved further," he said.
He emphasized that climate change and sea level rise, which impact maritime baselines, require the adaptation of new policies and strategies.
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"The legal frameworks under UNCLOS must continue to be developed to remain relevant as a guideline in addressing current challenges," Priadi said.
Further, as part of efforts to improve shipping safety and security, the Ministry of Transportation has issued Decree Number KP-DJPL 455 of 2024 on the Guideline for the Implementation of the Ship Reporting System.
The decree encourages ships entering and leaving Indonesian waters to report to shipping telecommunication facilities.
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"We have readied 24-hour monitoring carried out through the Maritime Coordination Center (MCC), which is responsible for broadcasting maritime safety information across Indonesia," he explained.
With the system, it is hoped that shipping safety and security in Indonesian waters can be maintained, in keeping with the Transportation Minister's Regulation Number PM 4 of 2024.