Evi Purwanti, S.H., LL.M. successfully defended her dissertation during an Open Doctoral Promotion Session on Friday (3/6). The board of examiners expressed appreciation for the topic she raised, considering it both compelling and highly relevant. This was due to Evi’s discussion on maritime boundary delimitation between states, an issue that continues to generate numerous disputes. The equitable principle became the primary focus of her dissertation entitled “The Equitable Principle in Determining Indonesia’s Maritime Delimitation with Other States in the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf.”
The equitable principle is considered important for examination given that Article 74 paragraph (1) concerning the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Article 83 paragraph (1) concerning the continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 stipulate that the determination of EEZ and continental shelf boundaries between states with adjacent coasts must be conducted through agreement based on international law, as referred to in Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, in order to achieve an equitable solution.
Unfortunately, in practice, disputes regarding the determination of EEZ and continental shelf boundaries remain prevalent. According to Evi, this condition stems from three fundamental issues. First, philosophically, there is still no universally accepted definition explaining the meaning of the equitable principle. Second, normatively, there is no established method for determining maritime delimitation aimed at achieving an equitable solution. Furthermore, in the absence of a clear definition and methodology, states encounter difficulties during delimitation negotiations in reaching equitable solutions in practice.
During the promotion session, Evi explained one example of an unresolved maritime boundary dispute, namely the Ambalat Block dispute in the Sulawesi Sea. The dispute originated from the inclusion of Sipadan and Ligitan Islands as part of Malaysian territory. This development consequently shifted Malaysia’s continental shelf delimitation, resulting in an overlap with Indonesia’s continental shelf claim.
Evi was ultimately awarded her doctoral degree with the distinction of Highly Satisfactory. The lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Tanjungpura in Pontianak, became the 128th doctoral graduate of the Faculty of Law UGM and the 3,189th doctoral graduate of Universitas Gadjah Mada. (Lita)
