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International Law and the Arctic

International Law and the Arctic

Author: Michael Byers
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781107042759
Published In: August 2013
Format: Hardback , 340 pages
Jurisdiction: International ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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Climate change and rising oil prices have thrust the Arctic to the top of the foreign policy agenda and raised difficult issues of sovereignty, security and environmental protection. Improved access for shipping and resource development is leading to new international rules on safety, pollution prevention and emergency response. Around the Arctic, maritime boundary disputes are being negotiated and resolved, and new international institutions, such as the Arctic Council, are mediating deep-rooted tensions between Russia and NATO and between nation states and indigenous peoples. International Law and the Arctic explains these developments and reveals a strong trend towards international cooperation and law-making. It thus contradicts the widespread misconception that the Arctic is an unregulated zone of potential conflict.

• Provides an overview of the international law on subjects including indigenous peoples, environmental protection, and oil and gas exploration

• Refutes the widespread misconception that the Arctic is an unregulated zone of potential conflict, instead illustrating a strong trend towards international cooperation which serves as an invaluable case study for post-Cold War international relations

• Explains international law without recourse to jargon and in a manner that is readily accessible to non-lawyers

1. Territory; 2. Maritime boundaries; 3. Beaufort Sea boundary; 4. Extended continental shelves; 5. Arctic straits; 6. Environmental protection; 7. Indigenous peoples; 8. Security.

Michael Byers
University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Advance praise: 'By situating legal instruments and norms within the region's complex politics, diverse cultures, emergent economic sectors, and increasingly dynamic geophysical environment, Michael Byers has written an accessible but thorough guide to the region.' Philip E. Steinberg, Durham University

Advance praise: 'This is a very informative and comprehensive book about contemporary international law as interpreted and applied to the Arctic region. Its components, including chapters on territorial issues, the delimitation of continental shelves, and the regulation of growing economic activities in a changing environment, make it both timely and of great intellectual and practical demand.' Alexander N. Vylegzhanin, Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Advance praise: 'Michael Byers' impressive analysis of the legal issues pertaining to the Arctic is a must-read for everyone concerned with the future of this increasingly important region.' Geir Ulfstein, University of Oslo