The Arctic Actors

To discuss the Arctic legal framework, it is necessary to have a strong understanding of the present-day (2010) positions of the eight Arctic nations as well as the roles of relevant international bodies. This chapter therefore outlines each of the eight nations’ commitments in the Arctic, their political willpower to make good on promises and which of these nations (Russia) has outpaced the others in its Arctic plans. The chapter also provides a summary description of the roles of relevant international bodies, including the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, International Court of Justice, Arctic Council, indigenous peoples’ groups, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,, International Union for the Conservation of Nature,, International Hydrographic Organization and the International Maritime Organization. This will help to clarify policy discussions undertaken in Chapters IV and V.