THE POSITION PAPER

COUNTRY: Saudi Arabia

COMMITTEE: Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
TOPIC: Settling the problem of territorial disputes in the Artic Region
NAME: Maulana Miftahul Firdaus

In this case, we try to dig deeper into this issue, such as what will be done by each country that
is included in this arctic region?

The Arctic Circle is one of two polar circles found on Earth, making up the most northerly
latitude in the world. The area north of the Arctic Circle is known as the Arctic, which encompasses the
Scandinavian Peninsula, North Asia, North America, and Greenland. The Arctic is almost entirely
composed of water and is estimated to make up 20% of the world’s freshwater resource. Much of the
Arctic’s water is frozen, forming what is known as the Arctic ice caps.

As more of the Arctic’s ocean is revealed from beneath these ice caps, it has opened resource
extraction opportunities in the region. Within the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Arctic states have
begun to increasingly vie for territorial control over the area in hopes of exploiting its reserves of oil and
natural gas. It is estimated the Arctic holds 13% of the world’s oil and 30% of its undiscovered natural
gas reserves. Access to the region’s resources offers enormous economic opportunities for Arctic states.
However, according to international law, the North Pole and the Arctic Ocean cannot be claimed by any
sole state.

The Arctic Ocean’s warming has also created vast trading opportunities via the Northern
passage. In centuries prior, the Northern Passage was blocked by ice caps, making travel through the
route impossible for commercial purposes. However, due to global warming, the Northern Passage has
become navigational. The former United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said the Northern
Passage could become the “21st century Suez and Panama Canals” and potentially reduce sea travel
from Asia and the West by 20 days. As a result, the Arctic holds significant potential to become
increasingly contested over in the coming years, with many experts considering it to be the site of the
21st century’s ‘Cold War’ between the Arctic States. 1

if we dig deeper the arctic is divided into eight countries that have claims to the area. these
countries are America, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Russia, Iceland, and Finland. Canada was the
first Arctic country to claim a large land area in the region in 1935, followed soon after by the Soviet
Union in 1937. The region's strategic importance increased during the Cold War because of the potential
for a submarine-launched nuclear weapons base in the area. resulting in the UNCLOS treaty which was
ratified at the end of the Cold War between the Arctic States. due to global warming causing the melting
of the ice sheet in the region, the agreement failed to clarify territorial disputes

1
https://theowp.org/crisis_index/arctic-circle-territorial-conflicts/
 THE POSITION PAPER
If we look at definition EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is, the state's exclusive economic zone
starts at the seaward edge of its territorial sea and extends outward to a distance of 200 nmi (370 km)
from the baseline. The exclusive economic zone stretches much further into sea than the territorial
waters, which end at 12 nmi (22 km) from the coastal baseline (if following the rules set out in the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea).[6] Thus, the exclusive economic zones includes the contiguous
zone. States also have rights to the seabed of what is called the continental shelf up to 350 nmi (650
km) from the coastal baseline, beyond the exclusive economic zones, but such areas are not part of
their exclusive economic zones. The legal definition of the continental shelf does not directly
correspond to the geological meaning of the term, as it also includes the continental rise and slope,
and the entire seabed within the exclusive economic zone2. so it's not entirely in the arctic belonging to
these countries, but when you look at the possibility of the fast melting of ice in the arctic, it will be a
bigger percentage for these countries to fight over that area, this EEZ is quite helpful in overcoming
claims problems, but from the UNCLOS side themselves should immediately update the policy.

In other case, there are many of dispute are has been resolved, such a

 The Cod Wars between the United Kingdom and Iceland occurred periodically over
many decades, until they were resolved with a final agreement in 1976.
 In 1992, the Canada–France Maritime Boundary Case, which centred on the EEZ
around the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, was decided by an arbitral
tribunal which concurred on the whole with the arguments put forth by Canada. France
was awarded 18% of the area it had originally claimed.
 In 1999, following the Hanish Islands conflict, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled
that the EEZs of Yemen and Eritrea should be demarcated equidistantly between
the mainlands of the two nations, without taking account of sovereignty over the islands.
[30][31]

 In 2009, in a dispute between Romania and Ukraine over Snake Island, the

UN International Court of Justice decided that Snake Island has no EEZ beyond 12
nautical miles of its own land.[32]
 In 2010 the Norway and Russia dispute of both territorial sea and EEZ with regard to
the Svalbard archipelago as it affects Russia's EEZ due to its unique treaty status was
resolved. A treaty was agreed in principle in April 2010 between the two states and
subsequently officially ratified, resolving this demarcation dispute.[33] The agreement was
signed in Murmansk on 15 September 2010.[34]
 In 2014, the Netherlands and Germany resolved an old border dispute [35] regarding the
exact location of the border in the Dollart Bay.[36][37] 3

2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone
3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone
 THE POSITION PAPER
In this case, Saudi Arabia began to be interested in the area because of the attractive natural
resources that could be obtained. Previously Saudi Arabia had relations with Russia regarding the oil
mining business, then Saudi Arabia is now starting to support Russia regarding the dispute over the
Arctic region.

So, with the many problems or conflicts that occur, we can solve that:

 Each country concerned must really understand the laws that have been published
 Existing laws must be updated according to current conditions, if we know that now the
arctic is experiencing extreme climate change and we really need a new policy from
UNCLOS to overcome this legal problem.
 if arbitrarily to fight over natural resources, then must follow the laws that have been
set