Indonesiantalk.com — On Nusantara Day, Indonesia urged to strengthen effective presence at sea
Indonesia on Saturday commemorated Nusantara Day, marking the historic Djuanda Declaration of 1957, a milestone that reshaped the nation’s maritime outlook by redefining the sea not as a divider, but as the connective tissue of the archipelago.
The declaration, delivered on Dec. 13, 1957 by then prime minister Ir. H. Djuanda Kartawidjaja, fundamentally altered Indonesia’s territorial doctrine.
Prior to 1957, Indonesia’s maritime boundaries were governed by a 1939 Dutch colonial ordinance that limited territorial seas to three nautical miles from each island’s coastline.
The rule effectively turned waters between islands into international seas, allowing foreign vessels to traverse the heart of Indonesian territory and fragmenting the country’s legal sovereignty.
“This situation was unjust and incompatible with Indonesia’s geographic reality as a vast archipelagic nation,” maritime scholars note.
The Djuanda Declaration asserted that all waters surrounding, between and connecting Indonesia’s islands form an inseparable part of national sovereignty.
It also introduced a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea measured from straight baselines linking the outermost points of the archipelago — a principle that later became the foundation of Indonesia’s status as an archipelagic state.
Call for a stronger state presence at sea
The commemoration was marked by an event hosted by the Faculty of Marine Engineering at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), in collaboration with the Diktimarin Forum.
Held at the Seatrans Conference Hall in Surabaya and attended both in person and online, the event also featured the launch of a book celebrating 65 years of the ITS marine engineering faculty.
Marine engineering professor Daniel Mohammad Rosyid said Nusantara Day served as a reminder that the sea is the main connector of an archipelago as vast as Europe. “This awareness must translate into policy and capacity,” he said.
Members of the Diktimarin Forum’s advisory board stressed that the government must deepen its effective presence at sea — not merely symbolically, but operationally.
This includes ensuring maritime activities are efficient, secure from illegal practices and safe from accidents, while also safeguarding marine ecosystems.
Indonesia, they added, needs more vessels of various types and sizes built by domestic shipyards, a resilient national shipping fleet and modern, efficient ports.
“What we need is a cabinet that truly embraces a maritime orientation,” a forum representative said, referring to the current Merah Putih Cabinet.
The forum also called on younger generations to become more familiar with Indonesia’s abundant agro-maritime potential, positioning the sea as a source of prosperity rather than conflict.
A legacy to be continued
Separately, Ismeth Wibowo, a grandson of Djuanda, urged future generations to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy.
“Safeguarding maritime sovereignty must go hand in hand with ensuring prosperity for all Indonesians, not just a privileged few,” he said.
Ismeth also expressed appreciation to the government, particularly to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who formally designated Dec. 13 as Nusantara Day through Presidential Decree No. 126/2001.
From national doctrine to international law
Although proclaimed in 1957, Indonesia’s archipelagic concept gained international recognition only decades later.
The principle was accepted globally through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and came into force for Indonesia after ratification in 1994.
Nusantara Day now stands as a reminder that the sea has been central to Indonesia’s territorial integrity, political struggle and national identity as the world’s largest archipelagic state.
Djuanda, who died at the age of 52 in 1963, held numerous key posts throughout his career, including prime minister, defense minister, finance minister and public works minister.
He was later named a National Hero, and his name lives on across the country — from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya to dams, forests, university buildings and even Indonesia’s Rp50,000 banknote — underscoring the enduring relevance of his maritime vision.
