Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW BULLETIN, cilt.40, sa.2, ss.1023-1051, 2020 (ESCI)
In recent years, the Arctic has faced problems such as the release of greenhouse gases as a result of melting glaciers. On the positive side, new waterways have created new opportunities in the region and facilitated the exploration of natural resources, including natural gases and oil in the coastal states. These developments elevated the importance of the Arctic and expanded the maritime areas along the coastal states. The Arctic and the issues related to its surrounding maritime areas area are managed under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This Convention is essential to ensuring the governance in the region and the prevention of marine pollution. Arctic states, with the exception of the USA, are party to it. However, the USA is bound to the provisions considered international customary law. In this study, the Arctic is discussed within the framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. First, the general characteristics of the region are examined. Second, the Arctic Council, which emerged as a result of the need for cooperation in the region, is reviewed. Third, we cover the effects of global climate change. In the second part of the study, the Arctic is discussed in terms of UNCLOS. In this framework, Article 234 with the title "ice-covered areas," which we call "a special arrangement" for the region, is discussed. Finally, the maritime areas of the Arctic are defined. Within this scope, territorial sea, straits, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, and the high seas in the Arctic have been handled under separate titles. These maritime areas have been evaluated within the framework of the relevant provisions of the Convention.