KANUN: JURNAL ILMU HUKUM
Vol. 27 No. 3: December 2025: Law and Justice in the Era of Digital Transformation

ASSESSING INDONESIA’S COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAWS AGAINST MIGRANT SEAFARER FORCED LABOUR

Markus Andre Mefiboset Simbolon (Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia)
Davina Oktivana2 (Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jan 2026

Abstract

Despite the growing global consensus and establishment of numerous public international law instruments to combat forced labour practices, Indonesian migrant seafarers continue to suffer, especially at sea. Indonesia has ratified various international conventions against forced labour, while persistent practices highlight a contradiction between its international commitments and their practical implementation. This study therefore assesses Indonesia’s compliance through the ratification of key instruments, including human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); labour standards under International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 29 and No. 188; and provisions under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), employing a normative judicial review approach. The analysis identifies substantive gaps in Indonesia’s national legal framework, such as the absence of a clear forced labour definition, deficient inspection mechanisms for fishing vessels, and inadequate oversight of recruitment agencies. While Indonesia possesses full legal capacity as a coastal state, these gaps hinder state duties to properly address forced labour. The study concludes that legal reformation and additional ratification of ILO Protocol No. 29 and Convention No. 188 are necessary to strengthen international cooperation and enhance protection for Indonesian migrant seafarers.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

KJIH

Publisher

Subject

Description

Kanun: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum (KJIH), the Indonesian Journal of Autonomy Law, is an international journal dedicated to the study of autonomy law within the framework of national and international legal systems. Published thrice annually (April, August, December), KJIH provides valuable insights for ...