The Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs, Widodo Adi Sutjipto said that securing Indonesian maritime areas is a responsibility to all of us. Therefore, it needs better coordination for the sake of guaranteeing the national welfare and security.

“To this date, maritime management has been the responsibility of each department, based on the existing rulings which stipulate their respective main roles, functions and tasks”, said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs, Widodo Adi Sutjipto, on the sideline of the launching of the office of IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) in Jakarta, on Friday.

“With the recently launched IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla), it is expected that maritime management can be comprehensively carried out, mainly on the issue of security and law enforcement”, said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs, Widodo Adi Sutjipto.

“That is very important owing to the existing dimensions of law and security in the marine management. Marine management is an inter-related fields and functions. Therefore, it is impossible to be carried out in single approach”, said Widodo.

He said further the integrated marine management would consequently guarantee the welfare and integrity of the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.

The official launching of the IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) was marked by the signing of plaque and the removing of the cover. Soon after the launching, the chairperson of IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) led a coordination meeting in order to discuss short and middle term programs of IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla).

The IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) was set up in 1972 through the joint decree between the minister of defense and security affairs/the chief commander of the army, the transportation minister, the finance minister, the minister of judicial affairs, and the attorney general, number : Kep/B/45/XII/1972; SK/901/M/1972; Kep.779/MK/III/12/1972; J.S.8/72/1 and KEP-085 /J.A/12/1972, on the forming of the IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board and the task force of the Marine Security Joint Operation.

Under the changes of today’s governance order and strategic environmental development, there has been an urgent need to restructure the IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) for the sake of increasing coordination among inter-governmental institutions within the field of maritime security.

In 2003, through the decree issued by The Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, number Kep.05/Menko/Polkam/2/2003, a working group for the planning and developing marine security and law enforcement was set up.

On 29 December 2005, a decree was stipulated, that is the presidential decree number 81/2005 on the IMSCB-Indonesia Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) which has become the legal fundamental for this organization.

Among those attending in the launching of the office are the Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono, the chief commander of the army, the Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto, the head of the Indonesian Police General Sutanto, The Minister for Domestic Affairs Moh. Ma’ruf, The Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda and other related ministers.