Strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness: A Common Maritime Database in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia hosts some of the world’s most critical sea lines of communication (SLOCs). Approximately 67 percent of Australia’s export value and slightly over 40 percent of its import value traverse the Indonesian archipelago, which is linked to key maritime routes such as the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the Sulawesi Sea. Any disruptions to these Southeast Asian SLOCs, which are vulnerable to various maritime threats, would be detrimental to Australia’s economic security. This makes Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in Southeast Asia crucial, including through sharing information that allows states and law enforcement agencies to establish a comprehensive “Common Operating Picture.”

Yet Southeast Asia lacks a unified database system to integrate and systematically store data on diverse maritime activities and threats. The region’s maritime economic activities generate valuable historical data on shipping volumes and different maritime threats like piracy incidents, armed robbery cases, and kidnappings for ransom, which could significantly benefit research, defence planning, and strategic decision-making. However, this data is currently fragmented, often confined to annual reports of information-sharing organisations or law enforcement agencies, with older records difficult to access online. Therefore, establishing a common maritime database is imperative.

The ASEAN Secretariat, through the ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) or Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF), could lead and manage the common maritime database. As ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union (EU) seek to expand their partnerships and integration with ASEAN members, a common database also offers a credible and useful project for deepening maritime collaboration with the regional states. They could provide technical expertise and support to develop the database as they are user states of the critical Southeast Asian SLOCs too.

Unlike the defunct ASEAN Information-Sharing Portal, which has been replaced by the IFC Real-Time Information-Sharing System (IRIS), this repository should focus on integrating and storing historical data on maritime activities and threats, such as shipping, vessel registration, armed robbery, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, among many others, instead of providing live updates. To minimise sovereignty concerns, and a broader reluctance from states, the common database could be categorised by country and activity, and be managed with mostly low classification data. By providing a historical picture of how a threat or maritime activity has developed over the years, the database would offer empirical support for trend analysis, inform policy decisions, and improve response strategies for future challenges.

A common maritime database would ideally involve contributions and coordination from multiple stakeholders, including countries like Australia, who have an interest in regional maritime order. ASEAN member states would have to provide the foundational data and input from their national maritime agencies, including coast guards, navies, fisheries departments, marine departments, and border authorities. Meanwhile, regional information-sharing organisations like the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC), the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC), the Information Fusion Centre (IFC), academia, think tanks, and the maritime industry could assume indispensable supporting roles by contributing information and data as well.

By consolidating data from various sources and storing archived data, a common maritime database could provide a more comprehensive and holistic view of maritime activities and threats in Southeast Asia. It would enable maritime law enforcement agencies to identify patterns, trends, and emerging threats, and the hotspots more effectively, enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond proactively to maritime security challenges. The maritime database can also strengthen information sharing and coordination for joint operations and resource allocation, enhancing the overall effectiveness of regional maritime security efforts. Additionally, the research and shipping communities could also utilise the data for their own purposes, contributing to a more comprehensive MDA.

Other than functioning as a maritime data repository, the common maritime database can also help enhance trust between different stakeholders in the sector. Interagency competition exists in many Southeast Asian countries, including those with a national coordinating agency for all maritime affairs, as well as at the regional level. For instance, IFC primarily relies on inputs from its 26 International Liaison Officers (ILOs) and open-source information. Critical data from coast guards, civilian agencies, and the shipping industry remains limited, largely due to the perception that the initiative is predominantly navy-driven. This perception is rooted in interagency competition in each country, hindering effective regional information sharing and collaboration.

Engaging different national agencies as users of the common maritime database necessitates collaboration and transparency, encouraging each agency to share its data and information. Increased transparency fosters mutual understanding, in turn building trust among stakeholders. This principle can also extend to the private sector, which can benefit from the platform as users. Many major maritime players are interested in researching maritime threats, and such a platform would prove valuable to them. Enhanced risk assessments supported by data can help shipping companies negotiate for lower insurance premiums. However, access to the database should be contingent on their contribution of relevant data or even funding, ensuring a reciprocal flow of information that enhances the platform’s overall utility and sustainability.

Meanwhile, regional workshops and training programs should be held to ensure effective adoption of the common maritime database by all stakeholders. The trainings can also act as an avenue where the stakeholders meet, engage, and interact with each other. It can be conducted as part of the ASEAN Maritime Security Information-Sharing Exercise, the Maritime Information Sharing Exercise, and/or the ASEAN Solidarity Exercise. These exercises should expand participation beyond navies and coast guards to include private industry stakeholders, other maritime-related agencies, and regional information-sharing organisations. Through tabletop exercises, training sessions, and workshops, this inclusive approach would enhance collective maritime situational awareness and foster greater collaboration across sectors.

A common maritime database would complement and enhance maritime law enforcement capacities by providing a centralised platform for data integration, analysis, coordination, and collaboration, thereby strengthening MDA in Southeast Asia.

This article is part of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Governance Expanded Network for Innovation and Education (GENIE),  with La Trobe Asia and the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS).  This program has received funding support from the Australia-ASEAN Council.  Views expressed are solely of its author/s and do not represent the Australian government or partner country government.

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