Unlocking the Arctic's Resources Equitably: Using a Law-and-Science Approach to Fix the Beaufort Sea Boundary

Pieter Bekker, Robert van de Poll

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    Abstract

    This article analyses the unresolved maritime boundary, situated in Arctic waters in the Beaufort Sea, between Canada and the United States based on an integrated law-and-science approach. Resolving the Canada-US disagreement over the Beaufort Sea boundary based on modern geo-scientific technology and the three-step delimitation methodology developed by the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals could serve as a catalyst for the peaceful and equitable resolution of all other unresolved boundaries in the Arctic Ocean. This includes the boundaries involving Russia, which can claim more than 40 percent of the Arctic shoreline. Given that the US is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, this article focuses on mechanisms available to Canada and the US under general international law and by applying "best law" and "best science".
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)163-200
    Number of pages38
    JournalInternational Journal of Marine and Coastal Law
    Volume35
    Issue number2
    Early online date26 Sept 2019
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 26 Sept 2019

    Keywords

    • Arctic Ocean
    • Beaufort Sea
    • equidistance
    • maritime boundarries
    • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC)

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