A Cooperative Regime for the Arctic

The UN Convention on the Law of the Seas has established a solid legal foundation for Arctic activities, but it does not prevent the geopolitical rivalry between the USA, China and Russia from extending into the region. Joint action to alleviate upcoming tensions are presently on hold because of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sverre Lodgaard
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Åland Islands Peace Institute 2023
Subjects:
Law
K
J
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/e47a980da66f43108e6511df5efa5b8c
Description
Summary:The UN Convention on the Law of the Seas has established a solid legal foundation for Arctic activities, but it does not prevent the geopolitical rivalry between the USA, China and Russia from extending into the region. Joint action to alleviate upcoming tensions are presently on hold because of the war in Ukraine, but in the meantime, cooperative approaches are worth exploring. Two interrelated issues merit particular attention: how to protect sea lines of communication (SLOCs) without triggering big power conflict, and how to deal with the problems posed by nuclear weapons.