Maritime Boundary Disputes Between Neighboring Countries and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Through the International Court on the Law of The Sea

Authors

  • Ade Riusma Ariyana Universitas Semarang image/svg+xml
  • Nur Azizah Notary Public of Anik Budi Megawati

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30659/b69y6g05

Keywords:

Maritime boundaries, UNCLOS 1982, ITLOS, International Court of Justice, Dispute resolution

Abstract

Maritime boundary disputes between neighboring countries are international legal issues related to the determination of sovereignty boundaries, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and utilization of marine resources. These issues are increasingly complex due to overlapping maritime territorial claims, differing interpretations of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the strategic and economic interests of coastal states. This study aims to analyze the legal basis for maritime boundary determination and dispute resolution mechanisms through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and international arbitration. The study uses normative legal methods with statutory, conceptual, and case-based approaches. Primary legal materials include the 1982 UNCLOS, the United Nations Charter, and relevant international court decisions. The results indicate that the resolution of maritime boundary disputes must prioritize agreements based on international law and the principle of equitable solutions. ITLOS, the ICJ, and arbitration all play a crucial role in providing legal certainty, but their jurisdiction depends on state consent and the provisions of UNCLOS. Therefore, bilateral diplomacy, the exchange of technical data, and international judicial mechanisms need to be combined to achieve peaceful, just, and sustainable dispute resolution.

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Author Biographies

  • Ade Riusma Ariyana, Universitas Semarang

    ACADEMICIAN

  • Nur Azizah, Notary Public of Anik Budi Megawati

    ACADEMICIAN

References

Journals:

Agung, AA, & Yustisianthia, R. (2021). "Settlement of Maritime Border Disputes Between Indonesia and Vietnam in the Waters of Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone." Uti Possidetis: Journal of International Law, 2(2), 167–188.

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Firmansyah, H., & Pratama, R. (2022). "A Legal Analysis of the ITLOS Decision in the Maritime Delimitation Dispute and Its Impact on Legal Certainty of Coastal States." Jurnal Veritas et Justitia, 8(2), 312–330.

Gaver, Craig D. (2021). "Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius/Maldives)." American Journal of International Law, 115(3), 519–526.

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Lathrop, Coalter G. (2013). "International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal." American Journal of International Law, 107(1), 211–217.

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Setiadi, D., & Rahayu, S. (2023). "ITLOS Jurisdiction and the Implementation of Article 287 of UNCLOS 1982 Mechanism in Settling Overlapping Maritime Claims." Journal of Environmental & Development Law, 53(1), 45–67.

Syahrin, MA (2019). "Mandatory Maritime Dispute Settlement Mechanisms Based on UNCLOS 1982 and Their Implications for Neighboring Countries." Jurnal Samudra Hukum, 14(2), 201–215.

Treves, Tullio. (2010). "The Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea." Chinese Journal of International Law, 9(4), 811–831.

Book:

Churchill, RR, and AV Lowe. The Law of the Sea. 3rd edition. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1999.

Evans, Malcolm D., ed. International Law. 5th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Klein, Natalie. Dispute Settlement in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Rothwell, Donald R., and Tim Stephens. (2016). The International Law of the Sea, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Hart Publishing.

Tanaka, Yoshifumi. The International Law of the Sea. 3rd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Regulation:

Charter of the United Nations, 1945.

International Court of Justice. Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine), Judgment, ICJ Reports 2009, p. 61, 3 February 2009.

International Court of Justice. Statute of the International Court of Justice. 1945.

International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh/Myanmar), Judgment, 14 March 2012.

Permanent Court of Arbitration. Bay of Bengal Maritime Boundary Arbitration between Bangladesh and India, Award, 7 July 2014.

United Nations. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Montego Bay, 10 December 1982.

United Nations. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Vienna, 23 May 1969.

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Published

2026-10-28

How to Cite

Maritime Boundary Disputes Between Neighboring Countries and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Through the International Court on the Law of The Sea. (2026). Jurnal Hukum Khaira Ummah, 21(3), 365-382. https://doi.org/10.30659/b69y6g05