The ‘Race’ for the Arctic: A Case of Misunderstood Geopolitics?

Abstract:This paper explores the potential areas of conflict and cooperation in the Arctic with a special focus on territorial claims and energy resources. The paper will first present the legal framework governing the Arctic region, with a focus on the U.N.Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Second, it will discuss the territorial claims that have been made by the Arctic states. Third, the paper will look closer into the actual level of tension in the region and discuss whether or not the territorial disputes have the potential of turning into conflicts in the future. The paper finds that although there have been some overlapping territorial claims in the Arctic and an increased military presence, a great deal of this can be explained by national pride and security interests as the ice melts. The paper also finds that most of the energy resources in the Arctic are located within the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Arctic nations and are consequently not contested. The potential for conflict in the Arctic is at the moment not very high.