International cooperation is a must for the future of the Arctic

Arctic cooperation has worked well in the last years, providing good political and economic results. The UNCLOS and the rights of sovereignty of the coastal states will guide the future development of the Arctic region. In this framework, enhanced international and regional cooperation is a must to face new and old challenges. As a matter of fact, even if the Arctic states aim at strengthening their rights and their uncontested influence on the management of the Arctic, the Arctic agenda calls for a unitary strategy of international cooperation. The prospect of new navigable routes in the Central Arctic Ocean shows how cooperation will be in everyone's interest.

Strong leadership of the Arctic Council

First of all, the Arctic policy is and will be in the hand of the Arctic states, as set out bythe legal framework regulating the Arctic. In this respect, the Arctic Council ministerialmeeting held in Kiruna in May 2013 clearly set out the strategy for the coming years.The Arctic Council has been the main high-level forum for the Arctic region. The KirunaDeclaration underlined the renewed commitment of the Arctic states to a strongleadership of the Council in facing new and old challenges. The idea is to strengthen thework of the Arctic Council, including identifying the opportunities for the Arctic states touse the work of the Council to influence and shape the action in other regional andinternational forums. Interestingly, the Council intends to expand its roles from policy- shaping to policy-making^[1].

It is clear that the Arctic states have an uncontested right over the resources under theirjurisdiction and they are determined to strengthen their influence on any issues ordecisions that concern the Artic. In this framework, the need for internationalcooperation with non-Arctic actors is acknowledged, especially when it comes to jointeconomic efforts.

Enhanced international cooperation

The Arctic powers are facing a paradox: the more they speak up for uncontestedinfluence over the Arctic, the more they realize that no project or measures can beimplemented by one "lonely" power^[2]. In this respect, the Arctic states in Kirunaacknowledged the need for transparent and predictable rules, and they continuedcooperation to boost development. In this vision, the Arctic states also welcomed China, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore as new Observer States and received the application for EU observer status. The idea is to welcome the cooperation of external actors insofar as they contribute to the work of the Council and share its commitments.

The uncertain but likely prospect of the expansion of the navigable route in the CentralArctic Ocean may also confirm the need for enhanced cooperation. In 2012, the sea icecovering the Arctic Ocean reached its lowest level since the first National Aeronauticsand Space Administration (NASA] observation in 1979^[3]. In September 2012, 40% of theCentral Arctic Ocean was open water. The area that emerged in the Bering Strait coveredto different extents the maritime boundaries of USA, Russia, and Canada^[4]. The prospectsof a further reduction in the ice covering in the next decades raise questions about theextension of navigable routes connecting the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans and,therefore, the Arctic's shipping potential. Even if it is impossible to forecast the timingand the extent of the ice reduction, it is believed that by midcentury sea, ice conditionswill enable expanded navigability along the Northern Sea Route, over the North Pole,and through the Northwest Passage^[5].

The issue of fisheries regulation in the Central Arctic Ocean

The opening of navigation in the Northern Sea Route, between the Northern Bering Seaand the Arctic Ocean, will bring about the necessity of further regulation of thenavigable routes and improved fishery regulation. What should be faced is the risk ofunregulated commercial fisheries in the Arctic Ocean. Beyond the Exclusive EconomicZones (EEZs) of the Arctic coastal states lie 1.1 million square miles of internationalwaters that have been covered with ice for centuries. For this reason, these internationalwaters in the Central Arctic Ocean do not have any regional regulation on commercialfishing. The Central Arctic Ocean has deep basins and continental shelves that areextremely rich in fishing resources^[6]. The potential of this area in terms of livingresources must be preserved, preventing unregulated exploitation of its fragileecosystem and any negative impacts on fisheries stocks.

The way forward: an international agreement

The international legal framework for the regulation of this area includes thesupervision of the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC] and fisheriesregulations for about 8% of the Central Arctic Ocean^[7]. The UN Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS] provides that regional agreements between regional states beconcluded to regulate the issues of fisheries in the remaining 92% of the Central ArcticOcean, though an agreement is still not in place. The Arctic Council has stated that it willnot deal with the issue but it will leave it to bilateral agreements. Therefore, cooperationbetween the Arctic states is at the top of the agenda.

The issue of fisheries regulation in the Central Arctic Ocean was discussed during twomeetings recently held in Moscow and in Greenland. Fisheries experts from Russia,Greenland, the United States, and Canada met in Moscow in December to discuss theneed for an international Arctic fisheries agreement to prevent the start of unregulatedcommercial fishing on the high seas surrounding the North Pole^[8]. In this occasion,Russia stressed the need to take preventive steps before it is too late, and the otherparticipants agreed on the necessity of an international agreement. Last month, Canada,the United States, and Greenland urged the other Arctic states to adopt a moratorium oncommercial fishing in international waters until there has been a full assessment of thesustainability of high seas fisheries^[9].

The Arctic states are dealing with the development of resources that by their own nature do not respect national borders. In addition, the nature of the risks in the region requires a joint effort to accomplish each state's national interest as well as common good. As an example of this, the prospect of commercial fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean requires joint efforts and investments to make any project economically viable in these waters. The recent steps taken towards Arctic governance suggest that the leadership of the Arctic Council, combined with cooperation among the Arctic states and observers' partnership, is the way forward.