Maritime jurisdiction
The Arctic Ocean belongs to whom
With no regard to imperialism, the five Arctic coastal states commit to defining their sovereign rights to the Arctic Ocean within the framework of the international law of the sea. Irrespective of this, all states are concerned by maritime jurisdiction in the Arctic.
In August 2007 Russian scientists sent a submarine to the Arctic Ocean seabed at 90° North to gather data in support of Russia’s view that the North Pole is part of the Russian continental shelf. The expedition provoked a hostile reaction from some of Russia’s Arctic neighbours and prompted much media speculation about the possibility of a “new Cold War” over the resources of the Arctic.
While there are a number of disputes over maritime jurisdiction in the Arctic region – and potential for more as states define the areas in which they have exclusive rights over the resources of the continental shelf more than 200 nautical miles from their coastal baselines – the reality is not nearly as anarchic as some commentators have suggested. In fact, the Arctic littoral states have all committed to define their jurisdictional rights in the Arctic Ocean within the framework...
Si jusqu’à présent l’Arctique était un territoire protégé par la glace, l’accélération de la fonte de la banquise ouvre aujourd’hui des perspectives accrues d’utilisation économique de la région. Les convoitises commerciales s’intensifient tant au niveau de la navigation commerciale qu’au niveau de l’exploitation de ses ressources notamment minérales. Plus encore que l’Antarctique, l’Arctique est confronté aux effets du changement climatique global et l’opinion publique s’intéresse de plus en plus à ces zones particulièrement sensibles de la planète. Si, de prime abord, les deux régions polaires semblent parentes en raison notamment de leur position géographique et de leur climat, la gestion des activités humaines qui y sont envisagées ne peut qu’être différente. En effet, les territoires...
