New Concept of Maritime Security: Securing the Oceans

"Securing the Oceans" is a new concept of security for taking comprehensive action in maintaining peace and protecting the environment in the oceans. Researchers who participated in the international conference, "Geo-Agenda for the Future: Securing the Oceans," sponsored by the Institute for Ocean Policy, SOF over three years, adopted "The Tokyo Declaration on Securing the Oceans" in the final international conference in December 2004. The declaration proposes the promotion of ocean governance as required by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and Agenda 21 through implementation of new maritime security.

New maritime security

A new concept of maritime security has come about. "Securing the Oceans" is a new concept of security, which seeks the comprehensive management of various maritime affairs, especially those concerned with military affairs, peaceful uses, resources, and the environment. Distinct from the conventional, narrowly-defined view of securing the safety of the state and its people through defense, diplomacy, and security, "Securing the Oceans" is a concept of comprehensive security in a broad sense, based on the recognition that resource management and environmental protection are fundamental requirements for the survival and development of mankind. The concept provides a comprehensive and integrated approach to all the issues of the ocean, improves greatly on the conventional, sectoral, and restricted approach, and contributes to ocean governance through security.

Current ocean management

Mankind has evolved and prospered with the use and bounty of the oceans. We have been heavily dependent on the oceans, which account for 70% of the earth's surface, and ocean resources for sea lanes, fishery resources, seabed resources, industry, and our livelihood. There will also be no peace and development in the future without the sustainable use of the ocean. In addition, it is the oceans that support the mechanisms of the earth, so life on earth cannot exist without the preservation of the marine environment.
But all countries and entities are now increasingly approaching the oceans in search of resources and energy. Under such circumstances, conflicts among nations with regard to the development and utilization of the oceans have come to the surface and are escalating military tensions. In addition, since the end of the Cold War, religious and ethnic conflicts, or armed conflicts and terrorist attacks stemming from poverty, have occurred frequently in coastal countries and regions along major sea routes in the world. These, combined with the activities of pirates and armed robbery, pose increasingly serious problems and are destabilizing conditions for use of the oceans. On the other hand, with the acceleration of economic activities, landbased marine pollution is spreading due to the patterns of mass production, mass consumption, mass disposal, and unregulated development of coastal areas. In addition, the increase of the population and the improvement of diet have led to the overexploitation of marine resources, furthering the deterioration of the natural marine environment, the destruction of ecosystems, and the depletion of resources.
After the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was ratified in 1994, coastal states' territorial waters were extended to 12 nautical miles. In addition, coastal states were given sovereignty over Exclusive Economic Zones and continental shelves and entrusted with their management. As a result, vast sea areas that had previously been used freely under the paradigm of the open seas, and that make up about 40% of ocean space, were placed under the control of coastal states. In accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Earth Summit Agenda 21, which was adopted two years before the ratification of the convention, a new system aiming at the comprehensive management and sustainable development of the oceans was established.
Ironically, however, with most of the ocean being divided into sea areas under the jurisdiction of coastal states, borders drawn along these sea areas often hinder law enforcement authorities in combating sea crime, making their pursuit of offenders difficult, as they are able to slip across these same borders. Problems have also arisen due to the artificial nature of coastal states' borders, as they make it difficult to manage the highly integrated marine environment and freely moving biological resources.
Each country needs to face these realities directly and realize that the oceans, their vastness alone making them international in character, need to be comprehensively managed by coastal states in consideration of the ocean as a whole. They must also realize that collaboration and cooperation among countries in each region are needed and reinforce a cooperative relationship for the comprehensive management of the oceans. The "New concept of maritime security: Securing the Oceans" is intended to respond to this kind of need.

Efforts for securing the Oceans

The Institute for Ocean Policy, SOF engages in research on comprehensive marine management based on its basic philosophy, "coexistence between mankind and the ocean," with the support of the Nippon Foundation. As part of its research, under a 3-year plan from 2002 with the theme of "Geo-Agenda for the Future: Securing the Oceans," the foundation conducted research for policy recommendations in order to advocate a new concept for comprehensive maritime security, "Securing the Oceans," and to implement the concept in society.
2004 December, the Institute for Ocean Policy, SOF held a final international conference and invited experts on the Law of the Sea and ocean policy to Tokyo from nine countries, mostly in the East Asian region, and from international organizations, and adopted the "Tokyo Declaration on Securing the Oceans" as the consensus of the participants. With regard to the formation and implementation of a political idea for the realization of the new concept of maritime security "Securing the Oceans," the Tokyo Declaration proposed to take 10 concrete measures that include the establishment of an international think tank for the oceans, the regular holding of an international conference on "Securing the Oceans," the establishment of systems for the conflict prevention and environmental protection, the information sharing, and cost sharing. For the outline of the proposals, please see the list below (for the full text of the proposals, access the website of the Institute for Ocean Policy, SOF via https://www.spf.org/topics/2004_e/pdf/ 041220_e1.pdf).
Considering it important to implement the proposals included in the Tokyo Declaration, the Institute for Ocean Policy, SOF makes it its business to call for the implementation of proposals to relevant parties at every opportunity. The foundation also would like to organize "Securing the Oceans Advocacy Group" as its backbone, and to promote activities to actually implement the policy recommendations of the Tokyo Declaration. We would appreciate your understanding of, and your cooperation in the promotion of the consolidated management of the oceans, which are the foundations of human survival.