TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Government recorded that there are 17,504 islands that are under Indonesian territory. The United Nations (UN) has verified 16,056 islands until July 2017.
Deputy Minister at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs Arif Havas Oegroseno said that 2,590 islands verified have just been registered to United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN). The registration of islands was applied in the 30the meeting of UNGEGN and the 11th conference of United Nations Conference on Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN) held in UN Headquarters, New York, 7-18 August 2017.
Havas added that 1,448 islands in which their names have not been standardized. "It requires validation and verification processes," he said on Saturday (19/8).
Havas explained that verification of islands and names of islands has to be done continuously to update Indonesia geography. In addition, registering names of islands holds high importance.
"The purpose is to maintain standards in naming the islands," he said.
However, he continued, registering names does not imply UN recognition of sovereignty, only to determine naming standards.
VINDRY FLORENTIN
