21
but in any case within 10 years of the entry into force of this Convention for that
State (under Article 4 Annex II of the Convention). Since then, this strict deadline
has been modified by States Parties to the Convention, providing extra time, notably
for developing States, to make submissions, but requiring them within the 10 year
limit to provide preliminary information on the outer limits of their shelf as well as
on the anticipated date of a full submission. In 2001, the Russian Federation was the
very first coastal state to make a submission to the CLCS regarding the limits of its
continental shelf in the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean.
The geoscience research that has been conducted to map and image the Arctic
seafloor and subsoil, often involved close collaboration between the Arctic coastal
States, notably the five states that can aspire to a continental shelf extending beyond
200 M in the Arctic. This collaboration was confirmed with the so-called Ilulissat
Declaration of May 2008: “The five coastal states currently cooperate closely in the
Arctic Ocean with each other, and with other interested parties. This cooperation
includes the collection of scientific data concerning the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment and other scientific research. We will work to
strengthen this cooperation, which is based on mutual trust and transparency, inter
alia, through timely exchange of data and analyses.”. With this Declaration, the
Arctic States recognize the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a
regulation base for Arctic governance (except the United States, which has not as yet
ratified it) and emphasized their commitment to settle overlapping territorial claims
in line with the Convention. The Treaty established between the Kingdom of Norway
and the Russian Federation concerning Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in
the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean of 2010 exemplifies this commitment.
Ten years after the first Declaration, in May 2018, the same Arctic States –
Russia, Canada, the United States, Norway and Denmark – once again gathered in
Greenland to reaffirm their mutual commitment to the Ilulissat Declaration, underlining the importance of a constructive and peaceful settlement of conflicts, present
and future, for this region of the globe, fragile to global warming and highly coveted
for its resources and future navigational opportunities.
An important organization in this respect is the Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among
the Arctic States, but also involving the Arctic indigenous communities, particularly
on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
The Chairmanship of the Arctic Council rotates every 2 years among the eight
Arctic States (Canada, US, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Norway, Denmark, and
Sweden). In addition, six indigenous organizations have status as Permanent
Participants and more than 10 non-Arctic States have observer status. Several nonArctic states are actively entering the Arctic geopolitical and business arena, including China, particularly attracted by northern shipping routes, and India, interested in
resource development in northern and Arctic Russia.
Finally we should mention the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic
Scientific Cooperation, signed at the Fairbanks Ministerial meeting of 11 May,
2017, as a clear sign of the recognition that the development of a coherent Arctic
policy needs to be informed by solid science, and particularly by the geosciences
(Berkman et al. 2017).
The Arctic Ocean: Advances in Geopolitics and Geoscience
but in any case within 10 years of the entry into force of this Convention for that
State (under Article 4 Annex II of the Convention). Since then, this strict deadline
has been modified by States Parties to the Convention, providing extra time, notably
for developing States, to make submissions, but requiring them within the 10 year
limit to provide preliminary information on the outer limits of their shelf as well as
on the anticipated date of a full submission. In 2001, the Russian Federation was the
very first coastal state to make a submission to the CLCS regarding the limits of its
continental shelf in the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean.
The geoscience research that has been conducted to map and image the Arctic
seafloor and subsoil, often involved close collaboration between the Arctic coastal
States, notably the five states that can aspire to a continental shelf extending beyond
200 M in the Arctic. This collaboration was confirmed with the so-called Ilulissat
Declaration of May 2008: “The five coastal states currently cooperate closely in the
Arctic Ocean with each other, and with other interested parties. This cooperation
includes the collection of scientific data concerning the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment and other scientific research. We will work to
strengthen this cooperation, which is based on mutual trust and transparency, inter
alia, through timely exchange of data and analyses.”. With this Declaration, the
Arctic States recognize the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a
regulation base for Arctic governance (except the United States, which has not as yet
ratified it) and emphasized their commitment to settle overlapping territorial claims
in line with the Convention. The Treaty established between the Kingdom of Norway
and the Russian Federation concerning Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in
the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean of 2010 exemplifies this commitment.
Ten years after the first Declaration, in May 2018, the same Arctic States –
Russia, Canada, the United States, Norway and Denmark – once again gathered in
Greenland to reaffirm their mutual commitment to the Ilulissat Declaration, underlining the importance of a constructive and peaceful settlement of conflicts, present
and future, for this region of the globe, fragile to global warming and highly coveted
for its resources and future navigational opportunities.
An important organization in this respect is the Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among
the Arctic States, but also involving the Arctic indigenous communities, particularly
on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
The Chairmanship of the Arctic Council rotates every 2 years among the eight
Arctic States (Canada, US, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Norway, Denmark, and
Sweden). In addition, six indigenous organizations have status as Permanent
Participants and more than 10 non-Arctic States have observer status. Several nonArctic states are actively entering the Arctic geopolitical and business arena, including China, particularly attracted by northern shipping routes, and India, interested in
resource development in northern and Arctic Russia.
Finally we should mention the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic
Scientific Cooperation, signed at the Fairbanks Ministerial meeting of 11 May,
2017, as a clear sign of the recognition that the development of a coherent Arctic
policy needs to be informed by solid science, and particularly by the geosciences
(Berkman et al. 2017).
The Arctic Ocean: Advances in Geopolitics and Geoscience