 |
Current Issues
What
is the proper relationship between international institutions
and organizations in the Arctic?
|
| |
A striking feature of the recent proliferation
of efforts to enhance international cooperation in the high northern
latitudes is the seemingly haphazard mix of institutions and organizations
that has emerged in the region. There are organizations (e.g. the
Northern Forum) that have sprung up as freestanding bodies without
any discernible link to institutional arrangements. By contrast,
there are institutions (e.g. the polar bear regime) that have functioned
in the region for some time with virtually no associated organizations
to handle administrative functions. Even more important, there are
major initiatives such as the Arctic Council in which there is a
considerable ambiguity or even outright confusion regarding the
proper balance between institutions and organizations. There is
no simple formula to follow in this realm. Organizations can spawn
regimes, just as the creation of regimes can give rise to a growing
need for organizations to administer them. Nonetheless, the current
situation in the Arctic regarding this matter is problematic; it
is on its way toward becoming a source of significant misunderstanding
among those concerned with international cooperation in the region.
Although the occurrence of this situation is perfectly understandable
as a result of the rapid growth of interest in international cooperation
in the Circumpolar North, a concerted effort to review and sort
out the proper roles of institutions and organizations is in order
during the near future. |
|
Previous
Chapter 