International Cooperation

The Arctic is comprised of territories governed by eight countries—Russia, Canada, the United States, Norway, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Iceland, Sweden, and Finland. At present, the territory and boundaries of the Arctic are not legally defined, and no legally binding treaty exists for managing the region as a whole.

However, the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum, promotes cooperation, coordination, and interaction among Arctic states and indigenous peoples. The council also handles disputes that arise within the region, although it has no official authority to enforce decisions. Working groups within the council address regional issues and important voluntary agreements have evolved under the council’s leadership. Other international forums and organizations also address common concerns that extend to the Arctic and encourage multinational cooperation in diverse areas, from scientific research and environmental protection to human welfare and sustainable development.

With the continued melting of polar ice—which will enlarge high northern international waters—and the near inevitability of expanded navigation and offshore development, the geopolitical importance of the Arctic region is growing. At the same time, disputes have intensified between some Arctic states, particularly with respect to overlapping claims to areas of the northern seafloor. International “soft laws” such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement, and the regulatory framework of the International Maritime Organization provide arenas for resolving some conflicts. Nonetheless, some experts argue that the existing system is insufficient to cope with the considerable challenges facing the Arctic in the decades to come. Both within and outside of the region, pressure is building for a stronger, more comprehensive framework for cooperative management in the Far North.