Mbabane, Hhohho May 24, 2024 (Issuewire.com) – Eswatini, being a landlocked country, asserts the sovereign right to exploration and engagements in maritime activities by having its own maritime administration. This move is quite audacious and hints further that landlocked countries are increasingly looking for ways to maximize their economic strengths through innovative approaches towards international trade and maritime law.
In most cases, landlocked nations have always managed to access sea routes, which are fundamentally very important for overseas trade of the nations. High transportation costs and associated logistic complications are evident due to overreliance on neighbouring countries for port access. The establishment of a maritime administration by Eswatini goes a long way to address the strategic challenges it faces and to enhance its participation in the global shipping and maritime field.
Eswatini Maritime Affairs puts in place effective control over the registration of ships, enforcement of safety and environmental rules of maritime, and the creation of maritime competencies in the country. In doing so, it assures Eswatini of more direct involvement in maritime trading, which can potentially bring about better economic activities. This further supports the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, which allows landlocked countries to participate in maritime activities. This international framework forms the basis for which countries like Eswatini and other nations may generally form transit agreements to be part of the global maritime community.
Critics insist that the logistics and financial implications of such ventures are disturbing to a landlocked country. On the other hand, the benefits of diversifying economic strategies and the easing of overdependence on neighbouring countries for trade routes far outweigh the challenges and costs. In sum, it is not simply a matter of Eswatini’s asserting itself as a sovereign nation but of strategically positioning itself in the global economy. As innovation and adaptation continue to take place in these landlocked countries, their value in the international trade and marine sectors continues to be redefined, assuring them of enhanced economic resilience and growth.
Source :Eswatini Maritime Affairs
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