A New Approach to Managing the Development of State Border Areas in the Ex-Outstanding Boundary Problems (OBP) Area of North Kalimantan, Indonesia, and Sabah, Malaysia

Since Indonesia's independence, border region development has been neglected, resulting in low welfare for border communities. Prosperity is a national aspiration enshrined in the 1945 Constitution. Therefore, a new approach is needed in managing border region development, particularly in the Ex-Outstanding Boundary Problems (OBP) region, where Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed on definitive boundaries through the 2019 and 2025 MoUs in Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan. Following the delimitation of national borders, various technical and non-technical issues have emerged, such as welfare inequality, political issues, defense and security, and regional planning that is not in line with the spirit of nationalism and the strengthening of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative descriptive juridical-empirical method with purposive sampling and snowball techniques. The results indicate that border development management must prioritize national strategic interests, have a global perspective, strengthen central-regional relations, develop national strategic activity centers, and implement problem-based and regional management. The recommended approach includes policy reorientation, repositioning the role of border areas, reconsolidation of management support, regulatory reformulation, restructuring of authority, revitalization of border cooperation, and governance reform with an outward-looking orientation through the concepts of Collaborative Border Management (CBM), Integrated Border Management, and transboundary border management.