Arctic Governance Challenges

As Arctic ice melt has accelerated in recent years, the once-distant prospect of Arctic shipping has become increasingly tangible. Less perennial ice has also increased the accessibility of vast seabed oil and natural gas reserves, located primarily off of the Russian coast, and raised other development issues. This chapter introduces the critical question of this paper: how can an effective, equitable and sustainable resource management regime be achieved in the Arctic? Does the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provide a legal basis for adjudication of all existing claims and can it provide an effective legal basis for responsible governance in the Arctic, or does effective Arctic governance require a regional regime? In addition, this chapter provides an overview of recent trends and developments in the Arctic and a basic introduction to each of the eight Arctic nations.