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North Pole As a Pole of Peace 14 He Ircle Limit a Little, Save a Lot 28 Tno Time for a new Arctic Treaty 8 North Pole as a Pole of Peace 14 he ircle Limit a Little, Save a Lot 28 TNo. 1. 2009 C Cooperation or conflict? The way forward ! for arctic governance PUBLISHED BY THE WWF IN te RNAti ONA L AR C T I C P RO G RA MME The Circle 1.2009 Contents Neil Hamilton: EDITORIAL: Where is the Arctic going? 3 In brief 4 Donald R. Rothwell: Time for a new Arctic Treaty 6 Olav Schram Stokke: Arctic environmental governance: Are new regimes needed? 8 Michael Bravo: Community-based monitoring and self-interest 11 Paul Arthur Berkman: “North Pole as a pole of peace” 14 Lawson W. Brigham: Arctic marine challenges of globalization and the maritime industry 18 Alexander Vylegzhanin: What is the law applicable to protection of the arctic environment? 20 Rob Huebert: Canada and Arctic Ocean governance 21 Egil Olli: Partnership in the Arctic 23 Bilyana Raeva: The arctic melting pot 26 Peter Eriksson: Sweden in a unique position to drive change 27 atiana aksina: New international rules for the Arctic Ocean: limit a little, save a lot 28 T S THE PICTURE: Fiction and science 32 PHOTO: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini M. Jones The Circle is published quarterly by the WWF International Publisher: Programme Director: Neil Hamilton, [email protected] Arctic Programme. Reproduction and quotation with ap- WWF International Arctic Programme, Editor in Chief: Clive Tesar, [email protected] propriate credit are encouraged. Articles by non-affiliated PO Box 6784 St Olavs plass Editor: Lena Eskeland, [email protected] sources do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of N-0130 Oslo, Norway WWF. Send change of address and subscription queries to Ph: +47 22 03 65 00 Design and production: the address on the right. We reserve the right to edit letters Fax: +47 22 20 06 66 Film & Form/Ketill Berger, [email protected] for publication, and assume no responsibility for unsolicited Internet: www.panda.org/arctic Printed at Merkur-Trykk AS material. Please include name, title and address with all correspondence. Date of publication: April, 2009. ISSN 2074-076X = The Circle (Online) 2 the circle 1.2009 Editorial Where is the Arctic going? WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE of The Circle, WWF International Arctic Programme’s new publication which replaces the Arctic Bulletin. The new name is an obvious reference to the Arctic Circle, but is also suggestive of all of the systemic linkages in the Arctic, circular self-perpetuat- ing processes that keep the Arctic in balance. Many of these systems are now being destabilized by threats such as climate change. We hope that this publication will bring forward ideas on how to address the threats, and keep the Arctic in balance. The Circle will come out four times a year, and will in each publication focus on one specific issue related to the Arctic. We will ask the key international actors working within that particular area to share their thoughts and ideas on various aspects of that issue. The aim is to ensure that you will get a wide and well-in- formed perspective on the most signifi- Dr Neil HAMilton cant current issues related to the Arctic, Director and will be able to hear some new ideas WWF International Arctic directly from the source. Programme Our first topic is arctic governance. [email protected] What happens when previously inacces- sible areas of the Arctic Ocean become accessible for fishing and oil and gas exploration? How should national and interna- We hope that tional interests be balanced this publica- in the Arctic Ocean? What tion will bring are the roles of the United Nations Convention on the “forward ideas on how Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to address the threats, and the Arctic Council? Are and keep the Arctic in the current legal regimes sufficient? What do some of balance. the arctic states want arctic governance to look like? What is the Indigenous perspective on these issues? These are some of the questions our distinguished selec- tion of authors address through their contributions. We have asked people who have solid background from not only the legal aspects of arctic governance – but also from politics, international diplomacy and academic research – to give Cover: The crew of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN us their views on how they see the current challenges and 767) posted a sign reading “North Pole” made by the crew after surfacing in the polar ice cap region. Hampton took part in ICEX 04, a joint operational exercise solutions. We thank all the authors for contributing with their beneath the polar ice cap. The Ice Exercise demonstrates the U.S. and British time and ideas. Submarine Force’s ability to freely navigate in all international waters, including We hope that this first issue of The Circle will give you a the Arctic. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist Kevin Elliott. lot of new input and food for thought. We look forward to receiving your feedback and comments, so that we can do The WWF International Arctic Programme gratefully acknowledges the financial support of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation for publication of our best to make the next issue even better. The Circle. the circle 1.2009 In brief climate change? This was the pressing question posed to a diverse group of scientists, conservation managers, policy makers and NGO representatives from around the Arctic who gathered at a workshop at the Abisko Sci- entific Research Station in Northern Sweden in March. The workshop was co-hosted by the WWF International Arctic Programme and the Research Station. The dis- cussions will be summarized and published in a scientific journal. Governance gaps and options mate change”. The meeting mitment to taking urgent and Big wins for made some other important effective action on climate A wwf-COMMISSIONED advances. It agreed to come change is what leaders of report on arctic governance polar bears up with a circumpolar action these nations will commit to gaps was launched at the plan for the management of later this year.” Arctic Frontiers conference WWF LAUNCHED earlier bears, and to formally desig- Ultimately, the polar bear in Tromsø, Norway, in Janu- this year a concerted push nate the Polar Bear Specialist nations must join with other ary. The report International for big conservation wins Group of the World Conser- countries at the UN climate Governance and Regulation for polar bears, set firmly vation Union (IUCN) as the conference in Copenhagen of the Marine Arctic was within the context of the scientific advisory body to in December 2009 to sign written by two experts on the battle against global warm- the Agreement. These were an effective global deal on law of the sea, Erik Jaap Mo- ing. The first milestone of all measures proposed by climate change that will save lenaar and Timo Koivurova. the campaign occurred in WWF ahead of the meeting. the polar bears’ arctic sea ice The report gives an overview March in Tromsø, Norway, This was the first official habitat, along with the entire of the current international at a meeting of the parties to meeting under this agree- ice ecosystem. governance and regulatory the 1973 Agreement on the ment in 28 years and an regime of the Arctic Ocean Conservation of Polar Bears. historic opportunity to take and identifies the main gov- During this meeting, the action toward effective trans- Conservation ernance and regulatory gaps five polar bear nations Can- boundary management and of the regime. A follow-up re- ada, Greenland/Denmark, conservation of polar bears. in times of port by the same two authors, Norway, Russia and the US “Although we are gener- International Governance formally recognized climate ally very pleased with the rapid climate and Regulation of the Marine change as the primary threat meeting outcome, this is Arctic. Options for Address- to the future well-being by no means the end of the change ing Identified Gaps, will be of polar bears. They also story- it is the start on the launched later this year. This recognized formally “the path to polar bear survival,” WHAT NEEDS to be done to report discusses the necessity, urgent need for an effective said WWF’s polar bear co- bring arctic conservation sci- timing and comprehensive- global response that will ordinator Geoff York. “The ence, planning and manage- ness of the reform of the address the challenges of cli- real proof of this new com- ment up to speed with rapid current legal regime, the the circle 1.2009 type, level and proposals for critical time for the Arctic,” all the way up to larger ani- Manager of WWF’s Ant- reform, and balancing rights, said WWF International mals such as polar bears. The arctic and Southern Oceans interests and obligations. Arctic Programme Director sea ice is critical to the stabil- Initiative. “Scientists are al- Neil Hamilton. “This is the ity of the global climate, as ready unpleasantly surprised only on the ground infor- it reflects 80 per cent of the at how quickly the impacts Arctic Survey mation about ice thickness sun’s energy, whereas open of warming such as sea ice coming out of the Arctic this water absorbs it. Without sea loss are showing up in the take-off year. Satellites give us good ice, the sun’s rays will be polar regions, exceeding indications about the extent absorbed, accelerating the recent predictions.” A THREE PERSON TEAM of the ice, but this expedition warming of the Arctic and Global average warming from Britain, led by polar will produce solid informa- the entire world, leading to due to climate change since explorer Pen Hadow, ven- tion about its thickness and unpredictable weather pat- the late 1800s is showing tured out in February from density.
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