The law of the sea and current practices of marine. Norways intelligence service played down the risks of conflict in the arctic monday, arguing that reports of a scramble for the regions oil and gas were more myth than reality. An arctic treaty university of maine school of law digital commons. Even china has chimed in stating that because it has 20% of the globes population it deserves 20% of the arctic. These territorial disputes have not yet manifested into physical conflict, but are apparent in the arctic nations official land claim submissions to the united nations. Basic principles 2035 introduces the concept of ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity as the top national interest in the context of the arctic. In recent years, rapid climate change has brought the far north to the publics attention. Arctic relations, argued rob huebert of the university of calgarys centre for military and strategic studies, at a conference hosted by the canada institute on december 11, 2007. Pascal poirier articulates the first claim to national sovereignty over.
The law of the sea in the arctic potsdam summer school. The dependency gives greenland an arctic advantage in negotiations with denmark, while turning circumpolar events into strategic arenas for sovereignty games in the aim to move the boundary of what greenland may do internationally without danish involvement. Denmark could also conceivably claim an arctic sector 60w to 10w. The treaty, which is later ratified by every arctic state except iceland, grants sovereign rights over continental shelf resources up to a depth of 200 meters or to a depth at which exploitation. If sovereign rights extend beyond 200 nautical miles, they can only concern the seabed and subsoil under the continental shelf regime in the.
Canada falling short on arctic sovereignty geopolitical monitor. Part i march 15, 2011 march 15, 2011 coha only a few short weeks ago, a u. While recent accounts of the topic place much emphasis on climate change or a new geopolitics of the region, the history of the inuit circumpolar council icc and arctic politics reaches back much further in time. The interesting thing about this conflict is that it shows sometimes rather paradoxical traits. Struggle for arctic resources could devolve into conflict.
Mar 22, 2011 the effort to secure sovereignty over continental shelves in the arctic has at once been described as a land grab, 1 a gold rush, 2 and, a race to claim arctic resources. Arctic scholars can help bridge the gap between different understandings of sovereignty and security, by generating theoretical and policy insights that reflect a diversity of. The changing arctic is a topic of increasing interest to the maritime security community. The population of the russian arctic consists of approximately two million people, including twentyseven ethnic minorities, totaling about 200,000 people. Basaran, the lomonosov ridge and the overlapping outer continental shelf claim to north pole, journal of maritime law and commerce, vol. Arctic sovereignty first priority for north, says harper. A weak argument indeed, but it sheds light on the aggressive interest for the final piece. At times, media reports on the arctic have depicted an unclaimed wilderness with states scrambling for resources. At that time, however, the landscape of international law was relatively simple. Apr 10, 2020 some cold war adizs remain in place, including the north american adiz, created by canada and the united states over the arctic. Army war college, centre for international and defence policy, queens university, chair of defence management studies, queens university, and land force doctrine and training system of the canadian forces key insights. Illini journal of international security the arctic. Russias new arctic policy document signals continuity. It is increasingly clear that the available remedies have been less than successful in many of these cases, and that a peaceful and definitive solution is needed.
Sovereignty and conflict in the arctic due to climate change. Yes, over the years i have seen arctic sovereignty flare up as a frontpage issue numerous times, usually driven by another country staking claim to arctic resources, or to explain a. Economic development, protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. Balancing sovereignty and multilateral cooperation in the arctic. Canada, which plans to assert sovereignty over part of the polar continental shelf see map. Mar 28, 2014 russia, the only nonnato littoral arctic state, has made a military buildup in the arctic a strategic priority, restoring sovietera airfields and ports and marshaling naval assets, the guide adds. All arctic nations still have a major disagreement over who owns bits of the continental shelf in the arctic ocean, most particularly the 1,800km lomonosov ridge. The northwest passage as a question of sovereignty environment. We dont want the arctic to become arena of conflict. Introduction this paper provides an overview of the legal issues posed by the melting of the ice in the arctic region and clarifies a number of issues concerning sovereignty, territoriality, and sovereign rights in the arctic ocean. The desire to establish incontestable sovereignty over the largest possible segment of arctic shelf and waters is justified primarily in terms of taking control over highvalue resources, but in fact, this urge is not reducible to greed.
Potential military conflict over the arctic is near. The harper government has branded itself as a resolute defender of canadas arctic sovereignty. One of canadas priorities in regards to arctic sovereignty should be to protect the inuit people not only because they are experiencing a loss in culture, but the circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty also declares that the inuit have rights to the resources and the land upon which they live on. Resolving arctic sovereignty from a scandinavian perspective. Canadian arctic sovereignty the canadian encyclopedia. Sovereignty, security, and stewardship kindle edition by griffiths, franklyn, huebert, rob, lackenbauer, p. Russias greatest ambition in the arctic is the expansion of its exclusive rights over the continental shelf. It distinguishes between the dual meaning of sovereignty in property discourse political sovereignty and owner sovereignty. The arctic consists of land, internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones eezs. The geopolitical and geoeconomic importance of the arctic. He is considered a leading expert on the subject of arctic sovereignty issues. Zones eezs, all with different levels of sovereignty.
In 1958 the united nations approved the convention on the continental shelf, which essentially codified trumans 1945 proclamation into international law. Sovereignty is the key to russias arctic policy prio. This talk draws from her newly published book, breaking the ice. Western political science and polar research and policy. That said, an effective sovereignty and security program. Russia, who ratified unclos in 1997, recently made a continental shelf claim of 1. Scramble for the arctic 25 disputes, conflict over aquatic territory, and contradictory boundary claims will likely require more involvement of international bodies in resolv ing these disputes, which are already emerging in the arctic,11 east asia12 and anywhere offshore oil exploration is ongoing. The arctic consists of land, internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones eezs and high seas above the arctic circle 66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude. Just in the past few years, china has built islands topped with military bases to back its claim to vast stretches of ocean, in conflict with half a dozen other asian countries, while.
Threequarters of the arctic oceans coastlines belong to russia and canada. By acting in a concerted and transparent manner, the united states and its nato allies can prevent the arctic from becoming a zone of conflict. Denmarks sovereignty over all of greenland was recognized by the united states in 1916 and. Denmarks sovereignty over all of greenland was recognized by the united states in 1916 and by an international court in 1933. Continental shelf negotiation, mediation and arbitration continental shelves sovereignty laws, regulations and rules. As a result, the canadian arctic analysis sovereignty, security, and canadas northern strategy p.
Russia, with an arctic coastline stretching over 20,000 km 2, is the biggest arctic state. A breakthrough in russias bid to determine the outer limits of its continental shelf in the arctic might be immanent. Understanding sovereignty disputes in the north by michael byers will get your blood boiling if you believe, as i do, that the northwest passage is canadian and not an international waterway. The danish navy recently occupied hans island, a barren hunk of rock between ellesmere island and greenland that canada claims as its territory. Despite fears of an unregulated race for arctic territory and resources, there is currently considerable international cooperation occurring to address key issues in the far north, said betsy baker of vermont law school at an event hosted by the canada institute in collaboration with the friedrich ebert foundation and the wilson centers kennan institute and. Canadian arctic sovereignty essay 1220 words bartleby. Unlike international governance specified for antarctica by treaty, arctic governance is a composite of national sovereignty and the multilateral arctic council in which the five coastal states join three arctic states finland, iceland, and sweden without coastal access to the arctic ocean, and representatives of six indigenous peoples. Using the hans island dispute as a diplomatic laboratory conflict analysis article pdf available september 2014 with 804 reads how we measure reads. The arctic frozen conflict international the economist. James stavridis has warned that the arctic could become a zone of competition, or worse, a zone of conflict. The stakes are only continuing to rise as the flux of ice coverage in the arctic circle diminishes every year. The arctic also represents tremendous potential for canadas future. Exercising sovereignty over canadasnorth, as over the rest of canada, is our number one arctic foreign policy priority.
In july 1880, the british government transferred the rest of. Engage your students during remote learning with video readalouds. The prize for these countries is the mineral wealth of the arctic. Denmark challenges russia and canada over north pole bbc. By taneil george as the arctic continues to melt, concern over who can claim sovereignty over it continues to rise. It is possible that these military operations are just a flexing of muscles and a display of sovereignty, but at the very least this increased militarization makes a military conflict in the arctic more likely than it has ever been. This line runs straight through the interests of sovereign states, mostly the arctic states but also more and more non arctic actors, and the interests of the people living in the increasingly strategically and economically important arctic region. In the context of the cold war, canada sent inuit families to the far north in the high arctic relocation, partly to establish territoriality. International disputes include disputes over maritime access through the northwest passage and a recently escalated dispute over the lomonosov ridge, which bisects the arctic sea, which russia. Climate change and rising oil prices have thrust the arctic to the top of the foreign policy agenda and raised difficult issues of sovereignty, security and environmental protection.
Nov 07, 2016 international disputes over territory can be ugly affairs, waged with all the nastiness of a divorce, backed with the force of armies. Where doubt has risen over canadas claims to arctic sovereignty is in the islands north of the canadian mainland. Rush for arctics resources provokes territorial tussles. International law in crisis by case western reserve journal of international law. A partnership between strategic studies institute, u. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world 3 executive summary in may of this year, about 200 kilometres north of the arctic circle, representatives from the five coastal states of the arctic gathered in the small town of ilulissat, greenland to discuss the future of the north. Aug 22, 2011 this line runs straight through the interests of sovereign states, mostly the arctic states but also more and more non arctic actors, and the interests of the people living in the increasingly strategically and economically important arctic region. Russia not only reason to bolster arctic sovereignty. Oct 22, 2007 inuit are patriotic canadians, and we believe that canada must have an adequate military presence and surveillance capacity in the arctic. Background and issues for congress summary the diminishment of arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the regions future. Implications of global warming on state sovereignty and.
Canadian domestic land claims acts are based on an extensive study of historical inuit land use in the canadian arctic, and observers have suggested that canadian claims to sovereignty over waters in the arctic could also be so based. Mar 23, 2016 in the contemporary arctic, sovereignty is best understood by reflecting on the views of arctic inhabitants, rather than focusing on borders, bombers and battleships. Rapidly receding sea ice and increasingly navigable waters combined with the promise of rich natural resource deposits have made investment in the arctic particularly military and infrastructure investment a priority for arctic nations and other parties that stand to benefit from the region. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The surging forces of globalization and climate change have turned a vast, inhospitable region from a neglected backyard into an international arena where the proven benefits of cooperation must compete in the minds of governments with everpresent tendencies toward rivalry and the consequent risk of intensified conflict. Arctic states are committed to abiding by the losc, the recommendations of the clcs, and the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims. Ssc 6210, western university, london, ontario, canada on 24 november 2017, polar research and policy initiative and the department of political science, western university, will be cohosting a talk by elizabeth riddell dixon titled sovereignty and canadas arctic. Each state that wants to establish outer limits of its continental shelf.
Who owns the arctic understanding sovereignty disputes in. In particular, both policies name the arctic as the main resource base for russias economic growth. Many conflicts throughout the world can be characterized as sovereignty conflicts in which two states claim exclusive sovereign rights for different reasons over the same piece of land. The arctic is quickly reemerging as a strategic area where vital u. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world. Russias growing aggressiveness in the international sphere is not the only reason to demonstrate canadas sovereignty in the arctic, prime minister stephen harper. This article appeared in the international section of the print.
In the battle for sovereignty of a disputed arctic island. Some of the early explorers here were british martin frobisher, 1576, john davis, 1585 and 1587, and others but many of these islands were reached and explored by scandinavians or americans see arctic exploration. There are many similarities between basic principles 2020 and basic principles 2035 when it comes to protecting russias national interests see table 1. Russia is winning support for its claims on arctic shelf. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a pdf. With 162,000 kilometers of arctic coastline, it is undeniable that the increased global interest in the arctic region is a pivotal concern to canadas strategic interests. Unclos allows the states to claim an extended continental shelf of 200350. Using the hans island dispute as a diplomatic laboratory conflict analysis find, read and cite all.
The threat of military conflict in the arctic is low, while the challenges associated with resource. In our arctic foreign policy, the first and most important pillar towards recognizing the potential of canadas arctic is the exercise of our sovereignty over the far north. For example, canada recently changed the nature of its arctic claims to conform to unclos procedure, by departing from simple reaffirmations of past assertions of sovereignty and instead beginning work on a continental shelf proposal due for submission in 20. Canada, norway, russia, denmark via greenland, iceland, sweden, finland and the. This book charts the history of performances of sovereignty over the arctic in the policy and visual representations of the us, canada and russia. The contributors discuss the nature of sovereignty in both senses, applying it to a wide range of topics such as the evolution of property rights in fragile and conflict affected nation states, and notions of sovereign. Implications of global warming on state sovereignty and arctic resources under the united nations convention on the law of the sea. An analysis of territorial disputes and environmental policy considerations 2009 a. The issue of northern sovereignty global warming has helped create the conditions necessary for a perfect storm when it comes to canadau.
Aug 27, 2014 lavrovs answer was a response to comments attributed to canadas foreign minister john baird, who told denmarks berlingske newspaper earlier this week that ottawa was determined to promote and defend the sovereignty of canada in the arctic in the face of the russian threat, manifested in the reactivation of a sovietera base off. Global warming, arctic ocean, continental shelf, unlos, dsm 1. The wider issue of whether canadas arctic waters were internal or international was left unresolved. Download citation on sep 2, 2014, michael mitchell and others published arctic sovereignty. Canadas claims to the arctic canada is the worlds second largest circumpolar country. The inuit, the state, and the challenge of arctic sovereignty lanham, md. May 29, 2018 where doubt has risen over canadas claims to arctic sovereignty is in the islands north of the canadian mainland. Cage is a research centre that investigates gas hydrates in the arctic with the aim to understand how. Prime minister stephen harper launched his summer tour of the arctic on a familiar refrain, warning that protecting canadas sovereignty is the first and highest priority.
Sovereignty conflicts and international law and politics. Canadian arctic maritime sovereignty during the trudeau years. Janice parks is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the national post, toronto sun, calgary herald, edmonton journal and victoria timescolonist. In the contemporary arctic, sovereignty is best understood by reflecting on the views of arctic inhabitants, rather than focusing on borders, bombers and battleships. All land, internal waters, territorial seas and eezs in the arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight arctic coastal states. Arctic, climate change, ice, north pole, sovereignty. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading canada and the changing arctic. While most of the arctic sovereignty disputes are canadau. She will illuminate debates about sovereign state rights and conflict over arctic resources. This chapters maps orient the reader to territorial claims in arctic lands and waters. Professor suzanne lalonde university of montreal, canada after decades of neglect, the issue of arctic sovereignty has found it way into the political and media limelight within canada.
Arctic is embedded in canadian history and culture, and in the canadian soul. Spurred to action by the tremendous technological advances of world war ii, u. The commission can rule as long as several countries have the same territorial claims, russia. Canada has a rich history in the north, and canadas sovereignty is the foundation for realizing the full potential of canadas north, including its human dimension. How the arctic is no longer communis omnium naturali jure. Russia and canada are the two largest arctic countries. Unfortunately, this book cant be printed from the openbook. What will be one of the right honourable stephen harpers legacies during his nine years in office as canadas twentysecond prime minister will be his. Improved access for shipping and resource development is leading to new international rules on safety, pollution prevention and emergency response. Climate change and the legal status of the arctic ocean. Sovereignty issues loom as arctic sea ice shrinks cbc news.
479 716 1527 976 357 898 627 360 970 1220 1429 1061 1089 1463 278 597 1504 700 903 1112 320 925 632 865 999 1178 102 683