Bill on Marine Affairs Finally Passed

After more than a decade in the making, Indonesia finally has in place legislation that provides a comprehensive framework on marine affairs. This was realized when the House of Representatives passed the Bill on Marine Affairs (“Bill”) on 29 September 2014.[1] The Bill aims to reaffirm Indonesia’s position as an archipelago and enable it to utilize and develop marine resources for the greater good.

Prior to the Bill being passed, Indonesia already had two similar laws covering marine affairs and the law of the sea. The first was Law No. 17 of 1985, which ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS 1982”), and the second was Law No. 6 of 1996 on Indonesian Waters (“1996 Law”). In general, these two laws also covered provisions on sea and marine affairs.