Arctic
The territory of Arctic is currently divided among 5 Arctic states, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russian Federation and USA according to so called orbicular triangles. Unlike the Antarctic, Arctic is not an international area and its international legal regime is not defined. Today, especially due to the global climate change, the geopolitical and economic importance of Arctic is growing. Melting of the glacier in the Arctic reveals the possibility of using new waterways in the Arctic Ocean and offers the opportunity of easier extraction of abundant mineral resources in this area.
The Economic Section of the Forum of the 21st Century has been mandated with the matters of the Arctic and its future use and division. Therefore the Forum invited the representatives of China, Canada, Norway, Russian Federation, USA, and European Union to discuss the issue.
In order to provide the international community with a satisfying solution suitable for all parties involved, Forum for the 21st Century will discuss the following questions:
- Research, Climate and Environmental Change,
- Population and indigenous people,
- Geopolitical division and resource management,
- Law of the Sea and Arctic waterways.