More than ever before the changing environmental and political landscape in the Arctic requires stability and foreseeability based on resilient common norms. The emerging legal orders in the Arctic cannot be legitimately created or effectively implemented unless all relevant actors are involved. Simultaneously, it must always be based on respect for the sovereign rights of the eight Arctic states in the region, as well as the tradition and cultural livelihood of the local communities. It is this delicate balance between Arctic and non-Arctic interests that is the core problématique for the emerging legal orders in the Arctic. Emerging Legal Orders in the Arctic critically examines the role of non-Arctic actors in this advancement of the shape and scope of the Arctic legal order. Discussing the admittance and participation of Observer states and organisations in the Arctic Council, including task force meetings where new treaties are negotiated, it details the issues and successes this can result in. Setting up the context of the current legal orders in the Arctic, the book discusses Asian, indigenous and European perspectives, amongst others. There is a strong focus on the groundbreaking fisheries agreement of November 2017 in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), and the impact on both Arctic and non-Arctic actors. Interests in marine living resources, scientific cooperation and the Arctic shipping regimes and governance are also thoroughly discussed from multiple perspectives. The book combines the expertise of academics and practitioners in the fields of international law and Arctic governance, uniquely focusing on Asian actors in the Arctic legal order-making. The resulting study is a fascinating insight into the interplay between non-Arctic actors and the Arctic legal order, and will be invaluable to academics in the field of Arctic and international law.

More than ever before the changing environmental and political landscape in the Arctic requires stability and foreseeability based on resilient common norms. The emerging legal orders in the Arctic cannot be legitimately created or effectively implemented unless all relevant actors are involved. Simultaneously, it must always be based on respect for the sovereign rights of the eight Arctic states in the region, as well as the tradition and cultural livelihood of the local communities. It is this delicate balance between Arctic and non-Arctic interests that is the core problématique for the emerging legal orders in the Arctic. Emerging Legal Orders in the Arctic critically examines the role of non-Arctic actors in this advancement of the shape and scope of the Arctic legal order. Discussing the admittance and participation of Observer states and organisations in the Arctic Council, including task force meetings where new treaties are negotiated, it details the issues and successes this can result in. Setting up the context of the current legal orders in the Arctic, the book discusses Asian, indigenous and European perspectives, amongst others. There is a strong focus on the groundbreaking fisheries agreement of November 2017 in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), and the impact on both Arctic and non-Arctic actors. Interests in marine living resources, scientific cooperation and the Arctic shipping regimes and governance are also thoroughly discussed from multiple perspectives. The book combines the expertise of academics and practitioners in the fields of international law and Arctic governance, uniquely focusing on Asian actors in the Arctic legal order-making. The resulting study is a fascinating insight into the interplay between non-Arctic actors and the Arctic legal order, and will be invaluable to academics in the field of Arctic and international law.

The Arctic, long described as the world’s last frontier, is quickly becoming our first frontier—the front line in a world of more diffuse power, sharper geopolitical competition, and deepening interdependencies between people and nature. A space of often-bitter cold, the Arctic is the fastest-warming place on earth. It is humanity’s canary in the coal mine—an early warning sign of the world’s climate crisis. The Arctic “regime” has pioneered many innovative means of governance among often-contentious state and non-state actors. Instead of being the “last white dot on the map,” the Arctic is where the contours of our rapidly evolving world may first be glimpsed. In this book, scholars and practitioners—from Anchorage to Moscow, from Nuuk to Hong Kong—explore the huge political, legal, social, economic, geostrategic and environmental challenges confronting the Arctic regime, and what this means for the future of world order.

Sets out the international law relevant to the Arctic, from indigenous peoples to environmental protection to oil and gas exploration.

Analysing the most important concepts and problems of the philosophy of polar law, this book focuses on the legal regimes relating to both the Arctic and Antarctic. The book addresses the most fundamental concepts and problems of polar law, looking beyond the apparent biophysical similarities and differences of the two polar regions, to tackle the distinctive legal problems relating to each polar region. It examines key legal–philosophical areas of the philosophy of law around legal interpretation; the role of nation states, reflected in concepts of territorial sovereignty – whether recognised or merely asserted, the exercise of jurisdiction, and the philosophical justifications for such claims; as well as indigenous rights, land rights, civil commons and issues of justice. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of polar law, land law, heritage law, international relations in the polar regions and the wider polar social sciences and humanities.

New Knowledge and Changing Circumstances in the Law of the Sea focuses on the challenges posed to the existing legal framework, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the various ways in which States are addressing these challenges.

This volume brings together multiple perspectives on both the changing Arctic environment and the challenges and opportunities it presents for the shipping sector. It argues for the adoption of a forward-looking agenda that respects the fragile and changing Arctic frontier. With the accelerated interest in and potential for new maritime trade routes, commercial transportation and natural resource development, the pressures on the changing Arctic marine environment will only increase. The International Maritime Organization Polar Code is an important step toward Arctic stewardship. This new volume serves as an important guide to this rapidly developing agenda. Addressing a range of aspects, it offers a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, environmentalists and affected authorities in the shipping industry alike.