Human security, the Arctic Council and climate change: competition or co-existence?

Nicol, Heather; Heininen, Lassi

doi:10.1017/s0032247412000666

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Many observers argue the Arctic will remain a peaceful region free of violent inter-state conflict for the foreseeable future, unless external events spill over and affect regional cooperation. Thus, conflicts in the Arctic occur between regional and central governments or different economic sectors, as well as among different interest groups, rather than between states (Tamnes and Offerdal 2014; Berkman and Vylegzhanin 2013; Le Mière and Mazo 2013; Nicol and Heininen 2013; Morozov 2009).…”

Section: A Non-traditional Security Approach To Meet Arctic Realitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constructing Arctic security: an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding security in the Barents region

Hossain

Zojer²,

Greaves

et al. 2016

Polar Record

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The field of Security Studies traditionally focused on military threats to states' survival, however, since the end of the Cold War the concept of security has widened and individuals and communities have gradually become viewed as appropriate referent objects of security: Multifaceted challenges facing communities at the sub-state level are increasingly regarded as security threats, including their potential to cause instability for the larger society, thus affecting states’ security. In the Arctic region, a central challenge is that inhabitants are exposed to multiple non-traditional and non-military threats resulting from environmental, economic, and societal changes, which can be understood as threats to human security. We argue that a comprehensive approach to human security overlaps with the concept of societal security, and must therefore consider threats to collective identity and the essential conditions necessary for the maintenance and preservation of a distinct society. We see the human security framework as a suitable analytical tool to study the specific challenges that threaten the Arctic population, and in turn the well-being of Arctic societies. Therefore, we argue that utilising the concept of human security can promote societal security in the context of the Arctic, and in particular, its sub-regions, for example, the Barents region.

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Section: A Non-traditional Security Approach To Meet Arctic Realitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constructing Arctic security: an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding security in the Barents region

Hossain

Zojer²,

Greaves

et al. 2016

Polar Record

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“…Although it is undeniable that, as some academics claim, an extension of the Arctic Council's mandate to deal with security raises many questions related to the divergence of views on the need to open a dialogue on hard security complementary to the more pressing one on soft security issues (Nicol and Heininen 2014), or to the role assigned to indigenous peoples in such an architecture without undermining their participation (Lackenbauer 2012), it remains a theoretically attractive long-term proposal, and it is supported by the authors for several reasons. First, the Arctic Council was established as a soft-law instrument and a footnote on Article 1 of the Ottawa Declaration, specifies that the Council ‘should not address issues of military security’ (Ottawa Declaration 1996).…”

Section: Proposals For the Institution Of An Arctic Security Dialoguementioning

confidence: 99%

Defining security in a changing Arctic: helping to prevent an Arctic security dilemma

Scopelliti¹,

Pérez²

2016

Polar Record

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In recent years, radical changes such as rapid warming and ice retreat have become evident in the Arctic region, as recognised by the scientific community, as well as Arctic and non-Arctic states. Against this background, where the Arctic is accumulating economic importance and geopolitical significance for Arctic states and international stakeholders, the main regional actors have engaged in increased cooperation efforts, which is in contrast to the often invoked talk about an imminent conflict or ‘race for resources in the region’. At the same time, modernisation and expansion of military activities and capabilities have been pursued by several Arctic states. While these measures cannot be exclusively attributed to a militarisation of the Arctic and require further discussion, a misperception of such actions may result in the destabilisation of regional cooperation efforts. Furthermore, when considered in a broader context, possible threats to peaceful coexistence in the Arctic are more likely to arise from the present global situation. For example, the invasion of Ukraine has provoked a partial shift in regional cooperation and an uncontrolled spillover effect of the conflict between Russia and Western countries could disrupt regional stability. Drawing on the perspective of International Relations (IR) literature, and considering the absence of a regional institution devoted to security issues, this article highlights the importance of adopting confidence- and security-building measures among all relevant actors in order to create a forum for the discussion of ‘hard’ security topics, to prevent any destabilising effect on Arctic cooperation and security. Such measures may be promoted within existing fora, primarily the Arctic Council.

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“…The AC is currently a soft power institution with no juridical mandate, and all initiatives are subject to voluntary consensus. However, in 2011 its member states passed their first legally binding agreement, and as the Council in recent years has seen growing pressure to become more proactive in policy making rather than just policy shaping (Koivurova and VanderZwaag ; Young ), some commentators have argued that it has the potential to gain more political potency (Nicol and Heininen ). According to Koivurova (), the AC is at a crossroads, as the various assessments and scientific reports produced by the Council have been instrumental in creating an Arctic region demanding ‘real governance’ which he holds that it is not currently equipped to offer.…”

Section: Governing the Arcticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theorising the Thaw: Geopolitics in a Changing Arctic

Bruun

Medby

2014

Geography Compass

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As the effects of climate change are becoming more and more pronounced, the Arctic region is attracting renewed attention from politicians, transnational corporations, and environmentalists alike, many of whom are based geographically far from the region itself. Interests span from the prospects of vast oil and mineral riches and shorter international shipping routes, to preserving what is often framed as a fragile, pristine environment. As a resource frontier and a wilderness, but also a homeland and a space of culture to its inhabitants, the Arctic is characterised by potentially conf licting geographical imaginaries and visions of both the present as well as the future of the region. Hence, the political geographies of the Arctic are both messy and complex. This paper examines some of the principal themes and issues of Arctic geopolitics and offers a discussion of how scholars of Political Geography have engaged the topic at a time when an increasing number of academics are directing their analytical gaze towards the North. Focusing on publications from the past decade, it aims to contextualise scholarly debates on Arctic geopolitics and illustrate the complexity and richness of the topic.

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Human security, the Arctic Council and climate change: competition or co-existence?

Cited by 24 publications

References 3 publications

Constructing Arctic security: an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding security in the Barents region

Constructing Arctic security: an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding security in the Barents region

Defining security in a changing Arctic: helping to prevent an Arctic security dilemma

Theorising the Thaw: Geopolitics in a Changing Arctic

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