Arctic Security and Outer Space

Byers, Michael

doi:10.31374/sjms.56

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Nonetheless, this challenge and response does not amount to an Arctic arms race, and there is little danger of military confrontation, at least for the foreseeable future. As I discuss below and as a number of scholars have shown, 13 there are no new territorial disputes, and Arctic states adhere to UNCLOS rules for dispute settlement. Russia's posture in the Arctic is not new.…”

Section: Structural Realismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining Arctic peace: a human heritage perspective

Crawford

2021

International Relations

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The Arctic is on fire. Warmed by the world’s soaring greenhouse gases, its ice cap is melting, and it is heating twice as fast as the rest of the planet, deepening the earth’s climate crisis. As its ice thaws, buried resources, trade routes, and new tourist opportunities are suddenly accessible. The borders of the earth’s two largest nuclear rivals, the US and Russia are less than 3 miles apart in the Arctic region and their hostility is growing. Seeking new trade routes and investment opportunities and rapidly rising above its rank as the earth’s third most powerful country, China, has declared itself a ‘near Arctic state’ and is exercising a voice in Arctic affairs. Russia and Arctic NATO members have expanded their military presence in the far North. Despite potential tensions and rapidly melting ice, there is no effective overarching governing regime in the region that can mitigate the climate crisis or manage conflicts were they to arise. Nonetheless, the Arctic remains free of interstate violence. The explanation for the absence of violent conflict cannot be found in traditional International Relations (IR) Theories. Looking below the radar of IR theory and expanding the Human Heritage approach, I show that the region contains a web of overlapping local, regional, national, and pan-Arctic institutions and agreements, built on both traditional and Western knowledge and often steered by indigenous knowledge holders in Arctic governance. This informal web of governing regimes manages Arctic resources to protect human heritage and guard human security. In doing so, it creates a cooperative environment which guides dispute settlement among Arctic states. It is the power of these networks, their normative commitments, and the knowledge that informs them that help to explain the absence of violent interstate conflict in the region.

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Section: Structural Realismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining Arctic peace: a human heritage perspective

Crawford

2021

International Relations

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“…China is a space‐faring state, to use Byers' (2020) term. So, too, are many of the eight sovereign Arctic states.…”

Section: Infrastructuring Outer Space: a Back Door To The Arcticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote control? Chinese satellite infrastructure in and above the Arctic global commons

Bennett

Eiterjord

2023

Geographical Journal

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China is expanding its Arctic presence by developing infrastructure in the global commons that intersect with the region. Operations in outer space, the deep sea and cyberspace minimise the need for terrestrial footholds and generate data, a virtual resource. To analyse the epistemic and geopolitical consequences of developing the Arctic global commons as a vertically and digitally integrated volume, we examine a critical form of Chinese ‘remote infrastructure’: optical, synthetic aperture radar, and navigation satellites. We argue that first, by generating data about the Arctic, these instruments turn China into a regional knowledge producer. Second, as remote observations outnumber field observations, Chinese polar science may shift the regional balance of knowledge towards spaceborne and marine observations. Third, China's emergence as an Arctic knowledge producer may motivate the state to contribute to regional governance as remote sensing and large‐scale, computationally intensive techniques become privileged decision‐making tools. To transcend the terrestrial and maritime fixes that predominate research on China and the Arctic, we call for greater attention to the influence of epistemic capacities on geopolitics.

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“…The dearth of conflict and the prevalence of cooperation is explained partially by widely agreed rules of international law and innovative principles of governance that buttress them. 13 Three important guiding principles inform my argument on a governance structure that pertains to humanity as a whole: no country can claim jurisdiction over these areas; no country can weaponize them; and cooperation is the main characteristic. 14 My approach is analytically relevant but goes beyond most international relations perspectives -especially that of realism, which posits that competition over land, oil, gas, and other resources might lead to conflict.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global commons law: norms to safeguard the planet and humanity’s heritage

Garcia

2021

International Relations

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The Global Commons – the high seas and the seabed, Antarctica, the atmosphere (including the ozone layer and the climate system), and outer space – have a distinctive status in international relations because these domains play a vital role in ensuring humankind’s survival, the subsistence of the planet, and the intergenerational custodianship of the human heritage. I call global commons law an ‘uncommon’ realm within international law that is composed of principles and practices that dovetail with treaties aimed at protecting humankind. These laws have an atypical purpose and are characterized by a commonality of interests based on the view that safeguarding these domains is in the interests of developing and developed countries alike, with scientists, activists, and international institutions jointly having a convening power to maintain peace. To elaborate on the impact and implications of the global commons law, I explain three of its functions: guardianship of future generations; creation of a comity for peace and peaceful settlement of disputes; and setting norms as the foundation for peaceful relations. These norms in turn have four key objectives: they provide common ground for peace and cooperation; ensure equity between rich and poor countries; create a forum for equitable burden-sharing; and prevent future harm. The Global Commons face threats – melting ice caps, greenhouse gases, and overfishing – that imperil the survival of humanity. This is then the moment to update and strengthen the mechanisms of global commons law.

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Arctic Security and Outer Space

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Explaining Arctic peace: a human heritage perspective

Explaining Arctic peace: a human heritage perspective

Remote control? Chinese satellite infrastructure in and above the Arctic global commons

Global commons law: norms to safeguard the planet and humanity’s heritage

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