Borderlines and Beyond: Strengthening Indonesia’s Land Borders Through Global Insights

Abstract

Managing border areas shows how serious a country is in maintaining and regulating its territorial boundaries. One sign is the existence of a clear and comprehensive rule of law as a guideline for such management. This research analyzes Indonesia's land border management policy by comparing it to global best practices to formulate a more effective and sustainable strategy. A qualitative approach was taken to examine border management policies in various countries as lessons for Indonesia, by analyzing legal, social, and economic aspects through literature studies. Indonesia's border management shows strengths in law, security and diplomacy, but still faces challenges such as a lack of technological infrastructure. For example, Germany and Poland settled historical claims through bilateral resolutions, while Latvia and Russia opted for international arbitration to resolve border disputes. In mountainous regions such as the Alps (bordering France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria) and the Pyrenees Mountains (France-Spain), countries are implementing aerial surveillance using drones to overcome geographical limitations. Countries like Poland, for example, have successfully tackled the hard-to-reach border in the Białowieża Forest by implementing AI-based smart fences. Indonesia can replicate this approach through digital transformation and the development of technology-based surveillance systems. The implementation of systems such as biometrics and One Post Border System (OPBS) can also speed up the inspection process and strengthen coordination between countries