Why the Arctic isn’t a ‘global commons’

• Main Author: Burke, Danita Catherine
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: The Conversation 2018
• Subjects: Arctic Council; Global Commons; global governance; Arctic; Iceland
• Online Access: https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/82c7c406-2981-4196-abc8-65fbf8141440; https://findresearcher.sdu.dk/ws/files/140528425/Burke_Why_the_Arctic_isn_t_a_global_commons_The_Conversation.pdf; https://theconversation.com/why-the-arctic-isnt-a-global-commons-93976

As the most recent Arctic Council meeting in Finland indicates, interest in the Arctic is as avid as ever. The Arctic Council itself, however, serves as a reminder of the dominance of the eight Arctic states — Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland — in the politics of the region due to their jurisdictional claims there. But some have argued against that supremacy. They see the Arctic as what’s known as a global commons. Additionally, they see the abundant resources and economic opportunities there as common goods. This broadly means that the Arctic is seen an international, borderless area and the resources there, such as fish stocks, are available for any state to access. This point of view raises the question: If the Arctic region is a global commons, why should the Arctic states be leading discussions about it?