A Trip to Lomonosov Ridge: The Arctic, UNCLOS, and “Off the Shelf” Sovereignty Claims

• Main Author: Macneill, Christopher Mark
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Oregon School of Law 2020
• Subjects: Law of the sea; International law; Sovereignty; Arctic; Canada; Greenland; North Pole; Law of the Sea; Lomonosov Ridge
• Online Access: https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/25375

34 pages This Article explores the substantive merit of Russia’s sovereignty claims over the extension of its 200-nautical-mile continental shelf limit via the Lomonosov Ridge to include an additional 150 nautical miles reaching almost to the North Pole. In particular, the issue is whether Russia’s claims are justified and what legal premises support its position. In view of counter claims by Canada, Denmark (Greenland), and the littoral states in the region, this Article also attempts to identify the inherent conflict within the competing sovereignty claims and potential alternatives for amicably resolving an appropriate international legal framework for the region.