the 2018 Our Ocean Conference (OOC).

The atmosphere, however, was gloomy due to the Lion Air JT610 tragedy, which had occurred only a few hours before the opening ceremony. In fact, the start of the conference was delayed for about an hour because the President had chosen to deal with early updates of the crash. 

His arrival at the OOC was greeted by Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan, Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi. The event began with a cultural performance from dancers from various regions.

The President used the opportunity to highlight his achievements in the mission to turn Indonesia into a leading maritime power in the world. He said one of the keys to success was the mental revolution, which he introduced during his four-year presidency.

Jokowi underlined that Indonesia was determined to play a key role in the global maritime force through the Indonesia Maritime Policy and Action Plan, which covers the improvement of sea connectivity, the development of and upgrading of 477 seaports and drastically reduced marine plastic waste. He pointed out that the government had developed 20 million hectares of marine conservation areas this year, mostly located in the eastern part of Indonesia.

“In the future, Indonesia would also like to enhance maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Together with ASEAN and ASEAN partners, Indonesia is developing the Indo-Pacific cooperation concept by reiterating the habit of dialogue and cooperation, inclusivity and respect for international law,” said the President.

He briefly reiterated his concern over the situation in the South China Sea, although he did not specifically mention China, which has claimed most of the resource-rich territory. Indonesia is not a claimant of the region, but it could potentially clash with the Asian superpower over the Natuna waters, located in the former’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Overlapping maritime claims, if not resolved through negotiations based on international law, may pose a threat to stability. International law must be a guide in the settlement of maritime affairs.”

Jokowi also warned about the rise of crimes at sea, including piracy, human trafficking, drug smuggling, slavery and illegal fishing activities. He then pointed out that the ocean’s health was also rapidly worsening due to climate change, water pollution and plastic waste.

“We need a mental revolution to address the challenges facing our oceans and to manage them in a sustainable manner. The OOC must be the driving engine behind a global mental revolution to nurture our oceans,” he said.

Indonesia was able to host the fifth Our Ocean Conference thanks to the dedicated diplomatic approach of Susi and Retno, who took the stage together prior to the President’s speech.

In their opening remarks, they jokingly referred to themselves as “millennial girls”, triggering laughs in the audience, including Jokowi.

“In recent years, Indonesia’s maritime diplomacy has also been clearer; it has become an integral part of [the country’s] foreign policy, complimenting and enhancing our active diplomacy on peace and humanitarian issues at the regional and global level,” said Retno. “The hosting of this conference is a concrete example of Indonesia’s commitment to addressing various challenges facing our oceans.”

Taking over the microphone from her colleague, Susi vowed that the government would do everything it could to ensure that the conference bore concrete results.

“I’m standing here with confidence to talk and to discuss with all of us, to continue and protect our oceans for future generations,” she said. “I want this conference to send a clear [message of] commitment and transparency, and to develop a concrete mechanism to track the deliveries of our commitments.

“[In this] OOC, we will come together for better, healthier and more productive oceans.”

The conference ends on Tuesday evening. It is still not clear at the time of writing whether the participants will issue a joint declaration.