Ground Truth Briefing | A Stronger International Regime for the Arctic Ocean?
As the Arctic Ocean becomes more accessible due to climate change, governments and Arctic stakeholders are scrambling to keep up with increasing human activities in that region. Nations concerned have taken several steps to manage these activities, but current international arrangements will likely prove to be insufficient as the Arctic Ocean continues to change in profound ways.
Ambassador David Balton and Dr. Andrei Zagorski have recently co-authored a ground-breaking article analyzing the situation, 鈥Implementing Marine Management in the Arctic.鈥 These two authors鈥攐ne from the United States and one from Russia鈥攈ave drawn on their long diplomatic and academic involvement with the Arctic to provide a candid assessment of the challenges confronting the Arctic Ocean and the limitations of the current international regime. Balton and Zagorski also offer a number of concrete suggestions for strengthening this regime, in both near-term and long-term.
乐鱼 体育's Polar Institute and the Russian International Affairs Council, with the support of WWF, are pleased to host this discussion with Ambassador Balton and Dr. Zagorski to consider these matters.
Selected Quotes
Ambassador David Balton
鈥淭he Arctic, of course, is melting. Climate change is transforming the region, and the nature and volume of human activity in the Arctic Ocean is certain to increase in the coming years, and what we have put in place so far is not likely to be adequate to deal with the coming changes.鈥
鈥淯ltimately鈥 we鈥檙e looking to create a system where science-based measures using the ecosystem-based management approach would be developed, presented to some group of states for decisions. The decisions would then become binding in one way or another on all of the relevant actors. This is not an easy thing to accomplish, but it is something that has been accomplished for other marine areas of the planet.鈥
Andrei Zagorski
鈥淭he biggest point here is how to organize, properly, the whole planning and implementation of the scientific research in order to focus it in a comprehensive way on the issues of ecosystem-based marine management in the Arctic.鈥
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Event Co-Sponsors
Speakers
Introduction
Moderator
US Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs; Former Chair, US Arctic Research Commission聽
Hosted By
Polar Institute
Since its inception in 2017, the Polar Institute has become a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues, and is known in Washington, DC and elsewhere as the Arctic Public Square. The Institute holistically studies the central policy issues facing these regions鈥攚ith an emphasis on Arctic governance, climate change, economic development, scientific research, security, and Indigenous communities鈥攁nd communicates trusted analysis to policymakers and other stakeholders. Read more
Kennan Institute
The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the surrounding region through research and exchange. Read more
Environmental Change and Security Program
The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. Read more