Maritime Law Enforcement and Delimitation of Indonesian Sea Boundaries: Legal Certainty and Protection of Sovereign Rights

Introduction: Maritime boundary delimitation and law enforcement in border areas are important issues for Indonesia as an archipelagic state. However, maritime delimitation and the enforcement of maritime law concern distinct legal questions and require separate but coordinated analyses. Purposes of the Research: This study examines the legal framework for maritime boundary delimitation under UNCLOS 1982 and analyzes the urgency and challenges of law enforcement in Indonesia’s maritime border areas. Methods of the Research: This study employs normative legal research using statutory, case, conceptual, historical, and comparative approaches. Primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials are analyzed qualitatively through legal interpretation and reasoning. Findings of the Research: The findings show that the delimitation of exclusive economic zones must refer to Article 74 of the 1982 UNCLOS, while dispute resolution is subject to the obligation of peaceful settlement as stipulated in Article 279. The case of fisheries violations in the North Natuna Sea shows the importance of law enforcement coordination, jurisdictional certainty, and cooperation between countries. Law enforcement needs to be adjusted to the legal status of the maritime zone and the authority of the applicable coastal states. It concludes that strengthening maritime law enforcement needs to be carried out through the resolution of incomplete delimitations, increased inter-agency coordination, and consistent implementation of UNCLOS 1982. This study emphasizes the relationship between maritime boundary certainty and law enforcement effectiveness as the basis for Indonesia's maritime policy formulation.