Can We Conclude an Arctic Treaty? – Historical Windows of Opportunity

• Published in: The Yearbook of Polar Law Online
• Main Author: Koivurova, Timo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Brill 2015
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change; Yearbook of Polar Law
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2211-6427_016; https://brill.com/view/journals/yplo/7/1/article-p410_16.xml; https://data.brill.com/files/journals/22116427_007_01_s016_text.pdf

This article examines moments of opportunity when non-governmental organisations ( NGOS ), inter-governmental organisations ( IGOS ), the European Union or nation-states have shown interest in discussing or commissioning studies on a comprehensive Arctic Treaty as a way to govern the region. These ‘windows of opportunity’ moments will be studied chronologically, starting from the end of the Cold War and progressing to the present day. It is also interesting to examine these proposals and their positioning against the current landscape of Arctic and global governance. The article will then examine how the region’s nation-states and other actors have actually opted to meet the challenges of this intensely transforming region, asking whether the states or other authoritative actors have been in favour of a comprehensive Arctic Treaty or if they have preferred to adopt some other solutions in respect to Arctic policy and law. Finally, it is of interest to examine the possible ways forward in governing a region that is undergoing dramatic transformation due to climate change and economic globalisation.