THE RIGHT OF NAVIGATION V. FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: BALANCING RIGHTS AND OBLIGATION IN ARCHIPELAGIC SEA-LANE PASSAGE
Abstract
This article examines the tension between an archipelagic State’s right to regulate navigation and the international community’s freedom of navigation within designated sea lanes. It aims to assess how UNCLOS Part IV balances coastal State sovereignty with the entitlement of foreign vessels to continuous and expeditious passage, using Indonesia’s Archipelagic Sea Lanes Passage (IASP/ALKI) regime as a case study. Employing normative legal research, the study analyzes primary sources such as UNCLOS 1982 provisions and national implementing legislation, and reviews scholarly commentary, case law, and policy documents to identify doctrinal foundations and practical state practice. The findings reveal that while UNCLOS articulates a calibrated framework granting archipelagic States non‑discriminatory regulatory authority over designated lanes and guaranteeing foreign vessels regulated transit, gaps remain regarding environmental enforcement during passage and the legality of route deviations. The study concludes that clarifying Part XII obligations as lex generalis for marine environment protection, together with precise national regulations and cooperative dispute‑settlement mechanisms, is essential to reconcile security concerns, environmental stewardship, and the rule‑based freedom of navigation.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26532/jh.v42i3.47212
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