Changing Arctic: A Strategic Analysis of United States Arctic Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

• Main Author: Gray, Daniel W
• Other Authors: NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV NORFOLK VA JOINT ADVANCED WARFIGHTING SCHOOL
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Government and Political Science; Sociology and Law; Geography; *AGREEMENTS; *ARCTIC OCEAN; *INTERNATIONAL LAW; *POLICIES; *STRATEGIC ANALYSIS; *UNITED NATIONS; *UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT; ARCTIC REGIONS; CANADA; CHINA; CLIMATE CHANGE; COAST GUARD; CONTINENTAL SHELVES; CRUDE OIL; EUROPE; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; NATURAL GAS; NAVY; RUSSIA; THESES; *UNCLOS(UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA); *ARCTIC POLICIES; SOVEREIGNTY; SEA LINES OF COMMUNICATION; NORTHWEST PASSAGE; CENTRAL ARCTIC PASSAGE; USNORTHCOM(US NORTHERN COMMAND); ECONOMIC EXCLUSION ZONE; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Canada; Northwest Passage; Central Arctic; Climate change; Law of the Sea; Northwest passage
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA581139; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA581139

As the Earth sets new record highs in temperature almost every year, the Arctic could begin experiencing ice free summers as early at 2013. With a new ocean opening up, the Arctic's future is unclear. Many fear that this will lead to a race for the oil, natural gas, and minerals that the Arctic is expected to hold. Shipping in the Arctic is increasing exponentially, supranational energy companies are drilling for oil, and national militaries are conducting operations in the Arctic. Will this lead to a militarization of the Arctic like the Cold War, or will the international community work together to peacefully interact in the region? The United States has been described as a reluctant Arctic nation; however, the physical, political, and economic environment is changing in the Arctic and this will eventually force the United States to address a full spectrum of issues that it has so far avoided. The United States has begun to create policy that will govern how it will operate in the Arctic, but the physical capabilities to permanently operate there do not yet exist. As government budgets shrink, answering these questions will get harder. This thesis examines the changing Arctic and conducts a strategic analysis of U.S. Arctic policy and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. All Arctic nations, with the exception of the United States, are party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). As a world leader, the United States must ratify UNCLOS and use it as the foundation for its greater Arctic national strategy. The original document contains color images.