Canada and the dilemma of Arctic's sovereignty

Résumé du document

The recent report from the US Geological Survey estimates that potentially 25% of the undiscovered oil and gas resources of the world are located under the Arctic Ocean. As a result of climate change, arctic ice is melting and these resources could become more easily accessible. Subsequently, the interests for the sovereignty of this region are now growing among the Arctic countries and therefore, the Canadian foreign policy in the North is, and will be, a major issue in the future regarding matters such as environmental policy, sovereignty, energy and security threats. Since the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea of 1982, five countries, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Canada and the United States of America have been claiming sovereignty over the Arctic, arguing an extension of their continental shelf under the sea. The recent demonstration of force made by Russia by planting a titanium Russian flag on the seabed of the North Pole clearly represents a symbolic challenge to Canada's ability to defend its position regarding sovereignty in the North. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pursuing his defense plan 'Canada First' by reinforcing the military presence in the North, but this could end up being costly and inefficient. This paper will examine the past and current position of Canada and define a new strategy in order to best protect Canada's interests in this region by pursuing multilateral co-operation among the Arctic Nations and defining a new international status for the Arctic region.

Extraits

[...] We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake; this Government intends to use This military plan has a total estimated cost of $CA 7 billion if we consider the mandatory construction of a deep-water port in the far North –such fleet would be useless without a port able to supply vessels in carburant–. IV. Evaluation of the current policy Canada's current emphasis on hard power rather than active diplomacy to protect its interests in the Arctic region can be subject to contestation according to the final outcomes aimed. [...]

[...] After having signed the Convention, countries have 10 years to submit their claim to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf with supporting scientific documentation. Canada allocated $ 70 million in 2004 toward a seabed-mapping program in order to submit its claim before the deadline of 2013 (Canada having ratified the Treaty in 2003). Russia has ratified the Convention in 1997 and has submitted its claim in 2001 overlapping claims from Denmark, Canada and the United States of America. The UN commission advised Russia to submit a revised claim accompanied of more scientific data before the deadline of 2007. III. [...]

[...] Canada and the dilemma of Arctic's sovereignty Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada has prepared the following paper in order to stimulate discussion of how best to move forward in the context of dispute over the Arctic Sovereignty. I. Introduction The recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that potentially 25% of the undiscovered oil and gas resources of the world are located under the Arctic Ocean. As a result of climate change, arctic ice is melting and these resources could become more easily accessible. [...]

[...] Canada's claim on Arctic territories and waters has been consistent in its foreign policy. However, a more precise strategy over this issue was set in 2000, when the Government released The Northern Dimension of Canada's Foreign Policy (NDFP) stating four objectives: - to enhance the security and prosperity of Canadians, especially northerners and Aboriginal peoples; - to assert and ensure the preservation of Canada's sovereignty in the North; - to establish the Circumpolar region as a vibrant geopolitical entity integrated into a rules-based international system; and - To promote the human security of northerners and the sustainable development of the Arctic. [...]

[...] Rothwell, International Law and the protection of the Arctic environment, The International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Vol No (Apr., 1995), pp. 280-312. The Antarctic Treaty, Art. [...]