So said chinese rear admiral yin zhuo, in comments relayed by the official china news service on. Apr 01, 2015 the united states takes over the chairmanship of the arctic council from canada on april 24 during the arctic council ministerial meeting in iqaluit, nunavut, canada. Canada falling short on arctic sovereignty geopolitical. Prime minister stephen harper launched his summer tour of the arctic on a familiar refrain, warning that protecting canadas sovereignty is.
The treaty which has the approval of 160 countries, including all those bordering the arctic ocean except the u. With the knowledge of vast energy resources, the claim to sovereignty in the arctic has become a challenge for the mechanisms of international law as each state is eager to demonstrate its entitlement to sovereignty in the arctic. According to huebert, the harper government was heavily. May 07, 2015 an introduction to inuit rights and arctic sovereignty may 7, 2015 by robin campbell the rapidly changing climate in the arctic is opening up the possibility of exploiting the natural resources contained in the arctic ocean seabed. Arctic environmental protection strategy june 14, 1991. Grant is the author of the clio awardwinning arctic justice. Arctic sovereignty also encompasses canada being able to effectively monitor and enforce authority over its northern land, sea, and air. On thin ice explores the relationship between the inuit and the modern state in the vast but lightly populated north american arctic. Inuit view on canadas arctic sovereignty arctic journal. The circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty emphasizes the unity of inuit as one people across four countries, and also addresses the unique relationships inuit have within each respective state.
Sep 25, 2009 in the highly readable book who owns the arctic, michael byers, a leading arctic expert and international lawyer explains the sometimes contradictory rules governing the division and protection of the arctic and the disputes that remain unresolved. But, while we may not visit it, we have always known that we canadians owned it. Drawing out the complex relationship between domestic, arctic, international and transnational inuit politics, this book is the first indepth account of the political history of the icc. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world 3 executive summary in may of this year, about 200 kilometres north of the arctic circle, representatives from the five coastal states of the arctic gathered in the small town of ilulissat, greenland to discuss the future of the north. The law of the sea in the arctic potsdam summer school. Each of the aforementioned countries has staked a claim for land or waters in the circumpolar. The media is saturated with the arctic these days, and some of the stories are about as accurate as my childhood impressions. Under the present governments watch, the north has seen a robust increase in. Canadian arctic sovereignty the canadian encyclopedia. The danishsponsored ilulissat declaration of may 2008 was an explicit rejection of that arctic vision. The arctic belongs to all the people around the world as no nation has sovereignty over it, said a retired chinese navy rear admiral at a governmental meeting in.
An inuit elected official from canadas northern territory of nunavut also draws connections between rethinking the. In the highly readable book who owns the arctic, michael byers, a leading arctic expert and international lawyer explains the sometimes contradictory rules governing the division and protection of the arctic and the disputes that remain unresolved. Part i march 15, 2011 march 15, 2011 coha only a few short weeks ago, a u. By taneil george as the arctic continues to melt, concern over who can claim sovereignty over it continues to rise. The changing climate of arctic regions, concerns about defence capability, interest in mineral exploitation, and greater awareness of the needs of canadas indigenous peoples, have all combined to direct political attention to the north. Introduction arctic sovereignty has become once again a matter of political importance. While recent accounts of the topic place much emphasis on climate change or a new geopolitics of the region, the history of the inuit circumpolar council icc and arctic politics reaches back much further in time. What cannot be forgotten in the focus on state sovereignty over the arctic are the rights of the indigenous peoples who have lived in the arctic, including the ice covered arctic ocean, long before the rest of the world turned its attention north. Circumpolar inuit launch declaration on arctic sovereignty tromso, norway 28 april 2009 inuit leaders from greenland, canada, alaska, and russia today launched a circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty.
He is considered a leading expert on the subject of arctic sovereignty issues. Canadas northern strategy under prime minister stephen harper. Declaration of sovereignty with a reference to the arctics materiality. An introduction to inuit rights and arctic sovereignty. The traditional view of arctic security focuses on military defence, especially the protection of national borders and the assertion of state sovereignty over arctic land and water. In the context of the cold war, canada sent inuit families to the far north in the high arctic relocation, partly to establish territoriality. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world. Where doubt has risen over canadas claims to arctic sovereignty is in the islands north of the canadian mainland. What will be one of the right honourable stephen harpers legacies during his nine years in office as canadas twentysecond prime minister will be his.
Jan 22, 2014 the circumpolar inuit declaration on sovereignty argues, for example, that the days of exclusive nationstate sovereignty in the arctic are over. The politics of arctic sovereignty oil, ice, and inuit. The resolution of this complicated scenario is yet to be determined and there are several possible outcomes. The circumpolar inuit declaration on sovereignty argues, for example, that the days of exclusive nationstate sovereignty in the arctic are over. The new earth declaration of sovereignty will enjoin the voices of thousands, then millions, of men and women across the globe, across all cultural and religious divides putting all governments and globalist institutions on notice that it is they who serve the people and not the other way round, and that their services are no longer required. All land, internal waters, territorial seas and eezs in the arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight arctic coastal states. At the time of senator poiriers speech there was uncertainty about sovereignty over islands in the arctic, but by the end of the 1930s rely dispute over.
Circumpolar inuit launch declaration on arctic sovereignty. Grants polar imperative is the first really detailed study of 200 years of north american sovereignty in the arctic, written from a canadian vantage point but with excellent documentation of. May 16, 20 the arctic belongs to all the people around the world as no nation has sovereignty over it, said a retired chinese navy rear admiral at a governmental meeting in 2010, adding that china should. Documents on canadian arctic sovereignty and security.
The first article in the declaration states that the inuit living in the arctic depend heavily upon the natural resources that obtain from the land and sea circumpolar. Based on shelagh grants groundbreaking archival research and drawing on her reputation as a leading historian in the field, polar imperative is a compelling overview of the historical claims of sovereignty over this continents polar regions. Janice parks is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the national post, toronto sun, calgary herald, edmonton journal and victoria timescolonist. The harper government has branded itself as a resolute defender of canadas arctic sovereignty. However the principle is not a rule of law 21 or a sound basis for territorial title, 22 and finds little support in state practice. Canadas claims to the arctic canada is the worlds second largest circumpolar country. In developing this declaration, the inuit circumpolar council icc worked with inuit across the circumpolar arctic over the past six months to address the increasing focus by outsiders on the inuit homeland known as inuit nunaat. The traditional view of arctic security focuses on military defense, especially the protection of national borders and the assertion of state sovereignty over arctic land and water. Securing canadian sovereignty in the arctic, address by prime. Inuit live in the vast, circumpolar region of land, sea and ice known as the arctic. Documents on canadian arctic sovereignty and security dcass issn 23684569. Thank you for the introduction and my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this workshop. Resources economical aspect social sustainability current use of the arctic denmark on arctic.
The arctic case demonstrates clearly that the canadian state messily uses whatever governmental tools are in its grasp to manage the inuit and claim territorial sovereignty over the high north. It recognises the politics of inuit and the arctic as longstanding and intricate elements of international relations. Pascal poirier articulates the first claim to national sovereignty over arctic territory based on meridians of longitude, arguing that canada should make a formal declaration of. According to huebert, the harper government was heavily focused on canadas arctic sovereignty, but played. Who owns the arctic understanding sovereignty disputes in. Nicole, emma, buket, cyan, leah, aisha the artic circle importance of sovereignty over arctic 5 countries that lay claims to arctic territory. The circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty is a document that that states the rights, responsibilities and roles that the inuit have regarding arctic sovereignty. What emerges is a vision for the arctic in which cooperation, not conflict, prevails, and where.
Arctic sovereignty videos and latest news articles. The issue of sovereignty over the circumpolar region is due to the geographical situation of countries such as canada, denmark through greenland, norway, russia and the united states. The united states takes over the chairmanship of the arctic council from canada on april 24 during the arctic council ministerial meeting in iqaluit, nunavut, canada. It chronicles the aspiration of the inuit to participate in the formation and implementation of diplomatic and national security policies across the arctic region and to contribute to the reconceptualization of arctic security, including the redefinition of the. Canada, the current chair, will hand over leadership to the united states on april 24. Jun 29, 2016 the treaty which has the approval of 160 countries, including all those bordering the arctic ocean except the u. One of canadas priorities in regards to arctic sovereignty should be to protect the inuit people not only because they are experiencing a loss in culture, but the circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty also declares that the inuit have rights to the resources and the land upon which they live on. Christie indigeneity and sovereignty in canadas far north 333 cating matters is the fact that the arctic is, essentially, an oceansubject, for example, more to the united nations law of the sea than to the sovereignty of individual states that might have land within or touching on. A history of arctic sovereignty in north america, is based on 30 years of research and study of the arctic. An analysis of territorial disputes and environmental policy considerations 2009 a.
Oil, ice, and inuit governance routledge advances in international relations and global politics 9780415640350. Denmark could also conceivably claim an arctic sector 60w to 10w. Canadian arctic sovereignty essay 1220 words bartleby. During the cold war, arctic security was inseparable from national security, nuclear deterrence and the bipolar rivalry between the american and soviet superpowers. With 162,000 kilometers of arctic coastline, it is undeniable that the increased global interest in the arctic region is a pivotal concern to canadas strategic interests. Defending our sovereignty in the arctic introduction. Jun 17, 2010 grants polar imperative is the first really detailed study of 200 years of north american sovereignty in the arctic, written from a canadian vantage point but with excellent documentation of. Denmarks sovereignty over all of greenland was recognized by the united states in 1916 and by an international court in 1933. Some of the early explorers here were british martin frobisher, 1576, john davis, 1585 and 1587, and others but many of these islands were reached and explored by scandinavians or americans see arctic exploration. Defending our sovereignty in the arctic introduction the true north, strong and freea line from our national anthem, and a rallying cry for canadian patriots immediately calls to mind a vast, frozen expanse, a land that most canadians will never visit. Canadian professor honored for arctic sovereignty book. Inuit nunaat includes lands in canada, the united states alaska. This morning, i want to revisit the first chapter of my book, polar imperative. Arctic sovereignty first priority for north, says harper.
Understanding sovereignty disputes in the north by michael byers will get your blood boiling if you believe, as i do, that the northwest passage is canadian and not an international waterway. We depend on the marine and terrestrial plants and animals supported by the coastal zones of the arctic ocean, the tundra and the sea ice. A circumpolar inuit declaration on sovereignty in the arctic. Harper prime minister stephen harper has declared the protection and promotion of canadas sovereignty in the arctic a nonnegotiable priority. On 7 november, international inuit day, we expressed unity in our concerns over arctic sovereignty. Unlike international governance specified for antarctica by treaty, arctic governance is a composite of national sovereignty and the multilateral arctic council in which the five coastal states join three arctic states finland, iceland, and sweden without coastal access to the arctic ocean, and representatives of six indigenous peoples. Declaration of individual sovereignty new earth nation.
Chairmanship of the arctic council should emphasize. Canadas arctic sovereignty is on thin ice now magazine. Oct 27, 2010 the circumpolar inuit declaration on arctic sovereignty is a document that that states the rights, responsibilities and roles that the inuit have regarding arctic sovereignty. New security network in the works as world powers turn north.
The arctic consists of land, internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones eezs and high seas above the arctic circle 66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude. Prime minister stephen harper launched his summer tour of the arctic on a familiar refrain, warning that protecting canadas sovereignty is the first and highest priority. Using the law of the sea, it outlined the sovereign rights of the five coastal states. Jan 01, 2007 certainly any discussion of canadas arctic sovereignty relates to the islands and waters lying north of the canadian mainland, what is often referred to as the canadian arctic archipelago. Mayjune 2012 by whit fraser canadas current prime minister frequently advances canadas position on arctic sovereignty with the words use it or lose it and just as frequently demonstrates canadas use by dramatically increasing the levels of military activity in the north. The arctic belongs to all the people around the world as no nation has sovereignty over it. The circumpolar declaration on sovereignty in the arctic developed by the inuit circumpolar council icc. Some of the states, including canada, have claimed sovereignty on the socalled sector principle, claiming that land facing the arctic gives sovereignty over territory to the north. Canada falling short on arctic sovereignty geopolitical monitor. Who owns the arctic understanding sovereignty disputes. Canada, norway, russia, denmark via greenland, iceland, sweden, finland and the.
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