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ix decades after it took effect, the Djuanda Declaration is only becoming more relevant, considering that geopolitics and Indonesian foreign policy are likely to be increasingly defined by the importance of maritime affairs.

Speakers at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the declaration on Wednesday agreed that while it was critical for determining the country’s status in the past, in the years to come more countries are likely to take more interest in both the economic and strategic values of the sea and maritime diplomacy would continue to be relevant in the future.

Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir emphasized the fundamental role played by the Djuanda Declaration, which was issued on Dec. 13, 1957, to unify Indonesia’s islands and seas into a single territory for the first time. He said the declaration not only fostered Indonesia’s national interest but also gained international acceptance as a principle in the subsequent international law of the sea.

“The principle was later embedded in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, or UNCLOS,” he said.

Before the declaration was issued, Indonesia was not considered an archipelagic state as the waters surrounding the country’s islands were regarded as part of the great oceans. These waters were then believed not to belong under any state jurisdiction, which left Indonesia a country made up of pieces of territory separated by international seas.

The situation changed when then-prime minister Djuanda Kartawidjaja announced a new policy for the nation, that the waters belong to Indonesia, and coined the term “archipelagic state.” Through a series of diplomatic efforts Indonesia ratified UNCLOS in 1982 and gained recognition for having issued the historic declaration.

Fachir said with the vision of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to develop the maritime sector for the country to become a “global maritime axis,” Indonesia has an important task to utilize the declaration to follow its mandate to accelerate the implementation of national connectivity.

Rizal Sukma, ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ireland and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), underlined that recently there was a major shift in how some countries approach the sea. Recent changes suggest that some water areas would transform into power-struggle arenas.

For instance, he said the dispute in the South China Sea and the East China Sea were not only driven by the need to secure maritime resources, but also linked to national sovereignty, national pride and control of the sea. “For Indonesia, the prospect of major power rivalries in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea is a nightmare. We are at the center of these two strategic seas where great power competition and rivalry will take place,” he said.

While Indonesia might not be a claimant in the South China Sea dispute, its interests were challenged by China’s controversial nine-dash line overlapping Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone.

Vice Adm. Achmad Taufiqoerrochman, the Navy’s deputy chief of staff, said extra work and resources were needed in the sea to secure the archipelagic country from any danger. He said that despite coordination between officers in charge of guarding the waters and coasts, the Navy was still waiting for the legal framework to integrate the multiple security institutions in those areas. “To get the best results, the command of security on the sea must be integrated. This is where we need to catch up in the future,” he said.