ARCTIC "HEAT"

A meeting of the Arctic Council in the Swedish city of Kiruna was not a widely covered ev-ent according to the current global standards. Still, this does not detract from its significance. This council was established in 1996 and its members are the countries bordering the High North: Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Also, six associations of indigenous peoples of the North take part in its work. The Council meets twice a year and on 14 May it marked completing a full cycle as each member of the Council presided once. 

The Council was originally formed for the purpose of considering and resolving environmental problems in the Arctic region. Because of global warming glaciers are melting and this can lead to irreversible environmental consequences. Participating countries are trying through a number of measures to prevent undesirable consequences. In particular, at the last meeting an agreement was signed on readiness for oil spills in the Arctic Ocean. However, interest in the region - not only of the members of the council, but also important players in the international system - is not limited to the environmental side of the issue. 

The Arctic region includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Eurasia and North America. In this case, it is very important for the countries neighbouring the region what kind of surface area and underwater shelves are actually extensions of these continents, and this is natural. It should be noted that under the open seas of the Arctic Ocean lay significant by world standards oil and natural gas fields. It is believed that the hydrocarbon reserves in the Arctic exceed several times over the combined reserves of the known deposits in the world. In addition, the region is rich in deposits of precious metals and diamonds

In addition to the availability of natural resources, the Arctic zone is also an additional and alternative route between Europe and Asia. Given that in the north there is a rapid melting of the ice, the formation of a more convenient northern route and its widespread use is very real. The Arctic region has two sea routes - the Northern Sea Route, which runs along the territory of Russia, and the Northwest Passage through the Arctic region of Canada. They are convenient in that they are 6,000-9,000 kilometres shorter than the routes passing through the Panama and Suez Canals. 

The presence of rich deposits of natural resources and effective transport routes make the Arctic a very attractive not only for the countries bordering this area, but also for other important players in the region. For example, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the EU pay very close attention to it and are increasingly conducting research in this part of the Earth, claiming a significant role. Incidentally, at the meeting in Kiruna, Germany, France, Great Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea and Italy received the observer status.

The active participation of countries not bordering the Arctic region is only possible in the absence of a clear definition of the legal regime regarding the Arctic. The entire perimeter of the Arctic has been divided between the USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Russia (by the way, five countries, not the eight members of the Arctic Council) into sectors. Territories and islands situated to the north of the Arctic shore of the given state within the sector formed by this shore and the meridians coming together at the North Pole are considered part of that state. However, some fine points should be noted: the lateral boundaries of the polar sectors are relative and are not state borders of the countries. State territory in the polar sector is limited to the outer limit of the territorial waters, constituting, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, 12 nautical miles.  

Under the existing international law, the territorial waters of the coastal state may also include the exclusive economic zone of some 200 nautical miles. The rest of the Arctic sea should be the common heritage of mankind and remain protected by international treaties. However, the same Convention on the Law of the Sea has a caveat concerning the Arctic: if one of the coastal countries proves that the Arctic shelf is an extension of its continental platform, then this part of the Arctic shelf will be found to be its property. 

In this regard, in 2007 Russia conducted an underwater expedition, and announced as the result that the underwater Lomonosov Ridge is an extension of the Siberian continental platform. The Russians even hoisted a titanium flag on the ocean floor, symbolically claiming the ownership of the territory as part of the Russian Federation. Curiously, Canada too advances a claim to the Lomonosov Ridge and finds it the continuation of its continental shelf. In any case, Russia has already submitted the necessary documents for consideration at the UN. In addition, the Russian Federation also claims that the Mendeleev Ridge, located to the east, is an extension of the Russian continental shelf.

In addition to Russia, territorial claims are also made by the US, Canada, Norway and Denmark. The latter also sent a research expedition, but its results fell far short of the expected. In addition, Denmark may have problems over the ownership of the territorial waters and economic zone around the Rockall rock, claimed as the property by both the United Kingdom and Iceland.

Looking at the situation from the perspective of future developments, one can safely say that the Arctic region with its rich deposits of minerals and increasing geopolitical importance will occupy an increasingly crucial position in the system of international relations. Global warming, followed by the melting of glaciers and technological progress will provide further impetus for the concentration of attention of various states in the region. The Arctic can become either a platform for cooperation of the international community, or a place of major rivalry and even strife. Undoubtedly, not only the legal justification for property rights, but also the readiness of the states for fully-fledged use of the Arctic will matter. And it may happen in this case that the financial and technical basis will become a more weighty argument than legal claims. The countdown for the development of the region has already started.