This research examines the domestic decision-making processes that shape how Indonesia interprets and implements its archipelagic obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS). Indonesia was one of the principal architects of the archipelagic state regime and the first to have designated archipelagic sea lanes, hosting some of the world's most important shipping routes. However, some countries argue that there are inconsistencies in Indonesia’s state practice which have led to tensions with neighbours and other maritime states.  

This socio-legal research draws from qualitative interviews with policymakers, government legal advisors and scholars in Indonesian institutions such as the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some of their international counterparts in the U.S. Singapore and Australia. It finds that how Indonesia implements its archipelagic state obligations under UNCLOS is influenced by the views and interests of a broad range of political and legal actors.  In contests about how to position Indonesian in relation to UNCLOS, the interests of political actors, including the President, a minister, or the Parliament, often prevail over legal interpretation of the treaty text, or considerations about compliance with the international law of the sea.

About the speaker

Aristyo R. Darmawan is a Ph.D Scholar at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. He is also a lecturer in international law at the Faculty of Law Universitas Indonesia and a former Visiting Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. His research focuses on the intersection between international law of the sea, foreign policy and maritime security in the Asia Pacific. His research has appeared in international journals such as the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law and Asia Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy. 

This seminar presentation is a dual-delivery event. Registration is only required for Zoom attendance. 

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Image credit: Image used originally in the article "Late maritime law negotiator put forth as national hero" published in thejakartapost.com. Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/05/26/late-maritime-law-negotiator-put-forth-as-national-hero.