International Cooperation on Search and Rescue in the Arctic

摘要

SAR in the Arctic is a complex and dynamic cross-disciplinary activity that requires the combinedeffort of multiple actors with specialized human and technical resources. Due to limited resourcesand infrastructure in the Arctic, international cooperation is particularly important. This articleapplies a conceptual framework drawn from regime-theory to study SAR cooperation in the Arctic.More specifically, we apply the three dimensions of regime effectiveness (outputs, outcomesand impacts) to examine the regimes established by the 2011 Arctic SAR Agreement and the1995 Barents SAR Agreement. The study addresses the rights and duties established by the regimesand their institutional arrangements for cooperation. Further, it investigates the importanceof operational cooperation among response agencies in understanding the development andeffectiveness of the regimes. The study concludes that the Arctic SAR regime is still underimplementation. The agreement has entered into force but a series of steps needs to be taken for thecommon SAR system to be operative. Consequently, the regime is in the early stages ofdevelopment and any evaluations of its impact are premature. The parties have implemented theBarents SAR regime both formally and in practice. Though the regime is generally held to have apositive effect on cooperation between the parties, there is a range of challenges that raise questionsregarding its capacity to provide for a coordinated and effective joint SAR operation. The studyfurther concludes that treating regime effectiveness in terms of a causal link between output,outcome and impact should be done with caution. It also argues that the focus of regime theory oninterest-based decision-making among regime parties should be supplemented by investigating theoperative and informal aspects of cooperation.