Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 23/Sep 05:24

Trinidad and Tobago’s next battle for sovereignty

THE EDITOR: We once drew lines in the sea and dared the world to cross them. Today, our most valuable territory is no longer measured in nautical miles, but in lines of code. And just as we claimed the Gulf of Paria under the Shipping Act and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), we must now claim the invisible waters of cyberspace before someone else plants their flag there. TT already knows how to defend non‑land territory. The Shipping Act, Chapter 50:10, empowers our Coast Guard, police, and Customs to stop, board, and detain vessels. The Harbours Act, Chapter 50:06, controls port access. The Pilotage Act, Chapter 51:02, mandates licensed pilots in our waters. The Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51, lets us board foreign fishing vessels and seize illegal catch. These laws are reinforced by our membership in UNCLOS, signed in 1982 and ratified in 1986, which grants us sovereignty over our territorial sea and rights in our exclusive economic zone. UNCLOS turned contested waters into recognised national space – a model we can adapt for the digital realm. Our financial systems, court platforms, security databases, and port logistics are all vulnerable to hostile cyber incursions. A cyber sovereignty act could regulate who enters our digital gateways, compel compliance with our laws, and protect sensitive data. For a small state, control over digital space is leverage. It’s as strategically valuable as control over the Gulf of Paria. Delay means leaving our networks open to exploitation, surveillance, and sabotage. The digital frontier is no less real than our land, sea, or airspace. But by all means, let’s wait until a foreign power is running our servers and then act shocked – that always works out well for us. KIRAN PANDAY attorney The post Trinidad and Tobago’s next battle for sovereignty appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.