University
Old Dominion University
Country
United States of America
Document Type
Conference Paper
Description/Abstract
For much of human history, the Arctic Ocean was persistently inaccessible to mass trade and transportation. With warming global temperatures, the ice of the Arctic Ocean is slowly giving way to navigable ocean, and creating new opportunities for states wanting to take advantage of the upcoming maritime access. With U.S. adversaries like Russia and China pursuing their Arctic interests, one would assume that the U.S. is hard at work at reinforcing its Arctic territory. Despite the United States being the global hegemon, scholars have remained puzzled as to why the U.S. has continued an apparent apathy towards the Arctic. This paper proposes three specific avenues of policy through which the U.S. can advance its interests in the Arctic region through international law: resolving outstanding border disputes with other Arctic states, securing Arctic trade routes before others claim them, and participate with states over environmental conservation to foster cooperation.
Keywords
Hegemony, Balance of power, International law, Law of the seas, Arctic Ocean
Disciplines
International Law | International Relations
DOI
10.25776/8qbb-aj52
Session Title
Law, Governance, and International Order
Location
Cape Charles Room, ODU Webb Center
Start Date
3-21-2025 9:30 AM
End Date
3-21-2025 10:45 AM
Upload File
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Included in
The Frozen Sleeping Giant: How the U.S. Can Awaken to Arctic Challenges and Advance its Northern Interests
Cape Charles Room, ODU Webb Center
For much of human history, the Arctic Ocean was persistently inaccessible to mass trade and transportation. With warming global temperatures, the ice of the Arctic Ocean is slowly giving way to navigable ocean, and creating new opportunities for states wanting to take advantage of the upcoming maritime access. With U.S. adversaries like Russia and China pursuing their Arctic interests, one would assume that the U.S. is hard at work at reinforcing its Arctic territory. Despite the United States being the global hegemon, scholars have remained puzzled as to why the U.S. has continued an apparent apathy towards the Arctic. This paper proposes three specific avenues of policy through which the U.S. can advance its interests in the Arctic region through international law: resolving outstanding border disputes with other Arctic states, securing Arctic trade routes before others claim them, and participate with states over environmental conservation to foster cooperation.