United States Arctic Ocean Management and the Law of the Sea Convention

摘要

This paper provides a brief overview of the international and domestic law and policy that provide the framework for the management of Arctic Ocean resources off the coast of Alaska by the United States. There will be a general discussion of the international legal framework set forth by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as applied to U.S. management in the Arctic Ocean, including the delicate balance of rights and interests, in particular the right of navigation, research, and exploration, and the right of U.S. exercise of coastal State jurisdiction. The paper begins with an overview of the work of the U.S. Baseline Committee, which is the decision-making body in the U.S. Government that determines the Baseline from which the limits of all U.S. maritime zones are measured. It also provides a brief overview of the limits of the territorial sea, contiguous zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone on the official U.S. nautical charts that are produced by NOAA. The United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Russia are all interested in determining the limits of their respective continental shelves in the Arctic Ocean. While the United States has not ratified UNCLOS, it is working on collecting the data required for determining the limit of its continental shelf under Article 76. Climate change is having dramatic effects. There is a significant melting of Arctic sea ice in the summer months that is resulting in new access to ships to explore and exploit Arctic Ocean resources and new routes of navigation that may provide more efficient trade and commerce. There is a growing concern over these trends and the increases in human activity, shipping, and energy development that will ensue. The U.S. is reviewing its Arctic policy and focusing on these changes and their implications for national and homeland security, the mapping of its continental shelf, energy exploration, environmental protection, and conservation of natural resources.