LEGAL REGULATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION IN THE ARCTIC REGION

The Arctic region is an object of close attention of both Arctic and non‑Arctic states. The Arctic Council plays a large role in the development of interaction between the countries of the region. In the fall of 2016, a meeting was held in Washington on the development of international scientific cooperation in the Arctic at the ministerial level. Representatives of all participants in the Arctic Council gathered to discuss joint efforts to expand international scientific and technical cooperation in order to counter rapid changes in climate and the environment in the Arctic. The adopted joint statement outlined the main challenges to the Arctic, for the entire population of the planet, to the inhabitants of the region, including representatives of indigenous peoples. The next step in this direction was the adoption in May 2017 of the “Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation”. This framework document is the third binding agreement adopted within the framework of the Arctic Council and regulates various aspects of scientific cooperation between the participants of this forum (both the Arctic states and the organizations of the indigenous peoples of the north, which are full members of the Arctic Council, and third countries). Particular attention is paid to the area of application of the agreement and the interpretation of those provisions that imply new rights and obligations of its participants — states — in the context of a broad international legal framework. The issues of regulating the movement of researchers and scientific equipment, and access to scientific infrastructure, using the experience of the indigenous peoples of the North, correlating the norms of the agreement with national regulatory sources are considered. The agreement entered into force in May 2018. The document is an unmbrella document, contains a large number of “soft law” norms and suggests that the parties will subsequently conclude new agreements, both general and bilateral, on hotel issues and areas of scientific cooperation in the region.

Arctic, scientific cooperation, Arctic Council, international cooperation, indigenous peoples, international scientific Arctic committee, international agreements, university of Arctic, Arctic states, subarctic states, research infrastructure.

Savelev I. V., Bogdanova E. N., Ershova I. V., Zhura S. E., Chertova N. A. Legal regulation of the international scientific cooperation in the Аrctic region. Business. Education. Law, 2019, no. 4, pp. 365–371. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2019.49.449.