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The legal, political, social, economic and environmental consequences of climate change for the Arctic are multiple and intertwined. Owing to the potential benefits derived from an accessible Arctic region, the attention of the Arctic coastal states – Canada, Denmark (Greenland), the Russian Federation, the United States (Alaska), and Norway (Spitsbergen) – is increasingly shifting towards the area, resulting in the development of national Arctic policies. Since the U.S. Geological Survey in 2008 estimated that up to a third of the world’s undiscovered and technically recoverable hydrocarbon reserves may be located north of the Arctic Circle, littoral states’ interests have further intensified.

With regard to the existing international treaties, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) has been referred to by many as an effective and powerful driver for acquiring scientific data about the Arctic continental shelf and seafloor and for stimulating new forms of scientific and diplomatic cooperation in the decreasingly icy and dangerous seascape of the Arctic Ocean.

This paper first gives a brief overview of the Law of the Sea Convention and describes the various maritime zones that may be claimed under LOSC with a particular emphasis on the rights coastal states may exercise therein. The paper then goes on to discuss how LOSC deals with multiple overlapping claims and disagreements over extended continental shelf rights. The subsequent part seeks to conclude whether LOSC is adequate for resolving disputes stemming from maritime boundary delimitation by examining the conduct of the five Arctic coastal states through the lens of the LOSC. Finally, the last section studies the applicability of a multilateral agreement similar to the Antarctic Treaty System in Arctic context.

Balazs Ujvari is pursuing an MA degree in International Studies at Aarhus University. His research field is focused on global governance and comparative regional integration studies.

August 20, 2012

Natalia

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I like this comment! What's this?

good one mike!Yeah, for the past couple of years i've begun thnkiing that it's too late to do much about this climate catastrophe looming in the distance. Big Oil and most of the ignorant people on the planet don't care and won't change their ways. Changing light bulbs isn't going to cut it in the long run (which, as mentioned above, is becoming the short run as we keep denying and delaying real action). Others think technology will save the day, but they don't realize how fragile our FOOD supply is with respect to climate. If the thermohaline cycle is even disrupted, let alone shut off (as Mike mentioned above), the climate for most of Europe (if not the entire planet) will be adversely affected for decades.We fund space programs to search for near earth objects that could impact us and screw things up royally for everyone and everything on the planet, but we don't do much about the way we impact the planet more directly. Sad how stupid we are as a species.

Tags: | but we don't do much about the way we impact the planet more directly. Sad how stupid we are as a species. | the climate for most of Europe (if not the entire planet) will be adversely affected for decades.We fund space programs to search for near earth objects that could impact us and screw things up royally for everyone and everything on the planet | let alone shut off (as Mike mentioned above) | but they don't realize how fragile our FOOD supply is with respect to climate. If the thermohaline cycle is even disrupted | is becoming the short run as we keep denying and delaying real action). Others think technology will save the day | as mentioned above | for the past couple of years i've begun thnkiing that it's too late to do much about this climate catastrophe looming in the distance. Big Oil and most of the ignorant people on the planet don't care and won't change their ways. Changing light bulbs isn't going to cut it in the long run (which | good one mike!Yeah |

August 23, 2012

Rosy

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I like this comment! What's this?

Since global wraimng believers tell us it was colder on earth during the time of the Vikings it is clear the writings in Viking diaries about growing crops on Greenland were all skeptic propaganda paid for by big oil companies. Those Vikings knew where their bread was buttered!;O)

Tags: | Since global wraimng believers tell us it was colder on earth during the time of the Vikings it is clear the writings in Viking diaries about growing crops on Greenland were all skeptic propaganda paid for by big oil companies. Those Vikings knew where their bread was buttered!;O) |

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