Law of the Sea and Ocean Governance in the Arctic: Conflict, Cooperation and Challenges Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore 20 January 2015 The accelerating loss of sea ice in the Arctic, with prospects for increased shipping and access to vast natural resources, has made the Arctic Ocean a “hot topic”. The Northern Sea Route is already seeing increased vessel transits, rising from 41 in 2011 to over 70 in 2013, while the Northwest Passage experienced its first two commercial cargo transits in 2013 and 2014. The Arctic is estimated to contain 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil and some 30% of the undiscovered natural gas. This seminar will explore three dimensions of the law of the sea and ocean governance in the fast-changing Arctic. First, territorial and jurisdictional conflicts will be highlighted. These include the continuing disputes between Canada and the United States over the legal status of the Northwest Passage and the location of the ocean boundary in the Beaufort Sea. Second, the numerous cooperation agreements and arrangements applicable to the Arctic will be discussed, including the central role of the Arctic Council to which Singapore is now an observer, and efforts to negotiate a new Polar Shipping Code and address the long-range transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury into the Arctic. Third, the law of the sea and ocean governance challenges will be reviewed, which include the need to enhance future governance arrangements for the central Arctic Ocean beyond national jurisdiction, put the ecosystem approach into practice, and address the many limitations of the Arctic Council. Those limitations include its “soft law” status, lack of secure funding and limited accountability.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:33:37 +0000
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