Publication: Current Developments in Arctic Law
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Editors: Kamrul Hossain and Marcin Dymet
CNARC member: Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS)
Editors' Note: Current Developments in Arctic Law (CDAL) is an online journal published as a part of the actions of the UArctic Thematic Network on Law. The Thematic Network (TN) consists of approximately 150 scholars with expertise in the disciplines of Arctic legal and social sciences from all across the circumpolar- and sub-Arctic regions. The TN aims at building a stronger network among its members, as well as among the institutions that they represent, through collaborative research and outreach activities. CDAL offers information to a wider audience, both academic and non-academic, about the activities of the TN and of its members.
Today, CDAL has entered its seventh year. During its journey, we have been able to update our audience on what is happening in the Arctic in terms of not only legal developments but also of advancements in economic, social, and geopolitical spheres. The focus of the contributions has been mostly in the fields of climate change, sustainable development, institutional and intergovernmental and inter-regional cooperation, rights of indigenous peoples, Arctic biodiversity, onshore and offshore human activities concerning mining and other mineral activities, increased shipping and fishing, infrastructural developments, and trade routes and businesses through the Arctic in general, and in particular through its marine areas. In addition, we have accommodated information about ongoing research and research network projects, doctoral projects of young Arctic scholars, and summary outputs of international scientific events focusing on the Arctic.
During this year, we have successfully completed a number of projects: an international workshop highlighting food (in)securities in the Arctic at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland; a NATO-supported international conference addressing climate change and cyber security in the Arctic in Rovaniemi; and an international summer school on Arctic studies at Hokkaido University in Japan, with students attending from Finland and Japan. We also initiated a joint project on education and curricula development for Arctic legal studies between NIEM at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland and Tyumen State University in Russia. This project will run until the end of June 2020. In addition, the TN has been actively engaged in the organization of the annual Polar Law Symposium, as well as in collaborating with partner institutions to organize international scientific events on Arctic and polar issues.
In this seventh volume of CDAL, wehave included several interesting short articles addressing amongs others the Arctic Council’s Ministerial meeting that was held in May 2019 in Rovaniemi, Finland; the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that was held in August 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland; the ecological safety of the northern polar regions and their legal situation; the new Arctic Sámi Strategy; the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; the Skábmagovat indigenous film festival that was held in January 2019 in Inari, Finland; the CAO Agreement; project “Arctic2035”; intellectual property rights and their connection to Arctic environmental issues; and production and consumption of Arctic cod. While these contributions are not peerreviewed, and opinions expressed therein are those of the individual authors of each chapter, we hope our readers will find these articles interesting and insightful. Enjoy reading them!
Kamrul Hossain
Marcin Dymet
December 15, 2019
