Editorials
Arctic Heating Up
October 7th, 2009The Japan Times
There are legal means to assert claims to a piece of the Arctic, such as the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. That treaty gives all countries that ratify it 10 years to make claims to the Arctic continental shelf. That includes seven of the eight Arctic states: Only the U.S. has not signed the Law of the Sea.
Racing to resources
September 12th, 2009Anchorage Daily News
Every other arctic and industrialized nation has officially approved the treaty, which was first concluded in 1982 and revised to meet U.S. objections in 1994. At first the U.S. accepted all aspects of the treaty except for those saying how seabed mining in international waters would be administered and regulated. The 1994 revision cured U.S. objections. Since then the call to ratify the treaty has garnered impressive political support.
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Ice-free Arctic will need new shipping regulations
August 16th, 2009The Toronto Star
The U.S. Senate also needs to quickly ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, which is the bedrock of all Arctic cooperation. And then the United States and Canada should set an example by implementing shipping safety controls under their jurisdiction and collaborating with other Arctic countries on international safeguards and controls. This summer is the perfect time to start.