Flag-planting: What legal framework governs the division of the Arctic continental shelf?

In: International journal / Canadian International Council: Canada's journal of global policy analysis, Band 65, Heft 1, S. 187-206

Abstract

In light of the Russian Federation's recent territorial claims to the Arctic seafloor, the article examines the rules regarding the geographical limits of state jurisdiction, the problem of overlapping claims, and problems arising from the fact that the US does not appear to be subject to the same rules as other claimant states. The author reviews the rules concerning the recognition of state competency with regard to the ocean floor. The author is particularly interested in how international law sets the boundaries of continental shelves, due to their importance in defining the outer limits of a nation's territorial claims to the sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). The article notes that these laws are inadequate in addressing the Arctic boundary disputes between Russia and Canada in particular. The author concludes by noting that the combination of inadequate legal rules with the possibility that states might be able to satisfy at least part of their energy need with Arctic resources promises future heated disputes in this region. Adapted from the source document.