Arctic Council International Government Organization Paper Example

Introduction

Arctic Council is an international organization which is made by eight main countries. Its main aim is to help in environmental issues resolutions and other governments in the Arctic regions. The United States, China, and European unions have a high interest in the Arctic Council. With influence in the Arctic Council, it may increase their chance to control the Arctic region. This will benefit them both economically and commercial because there is a lot of natural assets such as reserves and hydrocarbons and also waterways which can help in the movement of goods and products between Pacific and Atlantic oceans thus these products can be moved from European countries to American countries. This can help them grow economically. The lands of the north have not got yet controlled the arctic council this because it has the structure which provides the status of different countries and their capability to make decisions in the Arctic Council meeting.

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The focus of the Paper

This paper will focus on the economic resources the arctic region has and the reason why the Arctic region and Arctic council have gained a great interest in many northern countries. Secondly, the role of the United States if the Arctic region gets into a crisis and its economic gain if this happens. Thirdly, it will also focus on the configuration of the Arctic Council which provides and the countries involved in decision making and project initiation. This structure help in decision making and also prevents control of the countries of the north from controlling the regional resource for their interest. Lastly, the paper will also highlight the international organization that has the same structure to avoid it from being captured by the northern countries.

Arctic Council and Arctic region Importance

The United States of America, China, and European unions have a great interest in both economic and commercial control of the Arctic region. This region is rich in natural resource and waterways which will help in the economic growth of these countries (Hinzman et al. 251-298). The eight Arctic states have arctic council forum which helps in environmental issues resolutions and other governance issues. This council has provided encouraging results concerning ecological improvement and conservational of the surroundings (Roger). The assembly also protects the natural resource and the security of the region. Northern countries want influence on the Arctic council because with economic control of the area they will gain economically from resources such as hydrocarbon deposits which are abundant in the region (Roger). Hydrocarbon is a natural resource which has enormous economic value because it can be used to provide fuel in the world. With the increased need for fuel in the world today, hydrocarbons stand as one of the most critical natural resources.

This region has excellent opportunities because shrinking ice caps due to global warming and the new technologies can help in assessability of the gas and oil reserve which is abundant in the region. The Arctic coast contains the unexplored potential of petroleum reserves in the world today. They also have the potential to develop energy sources such as coal- bed. This region also contains other resources such as zinc, platinum, manganese, cobalt and they are already in the industries (Howard). This has increased the processing industries of these minerals. Whitefish in the region is more dominant with the Bering Sea providing the United States and Russia with the most significant annual catch, and this has increased the foreign exchange in the region. Increase in the amount of ice melting due to global warming fish will migrate in the Arctic region and this will improve the fishing process in the area (Larry).

These resources have significant economic growth in different countries. With all these resources many states have increased their interest to be involved in the Arctic Council. The region contains the northern sea routes which connect Pacific and Atlantic oceans. These routes were unpassable due to increased sea ice. But, global warming as helped in the melting of this ice making this routes passable (Larry). This will increased trade between different countries and this will increase the economic growth in the region and also economic ties of different countries will increase. This route has reduced the distance between Europe and Asia and also it will reduce the fuel cost. Due to the increased number of resources in the region, the United States as great attention in the dominance of the council and this will help it to get the resources in the area. Due to accessibility to the region, increase in dispute due to the ordinary possessions and the managing of the territories and the territory conflict of the ownership of the coastal zone may occur and this may lead to crisis and militarization may be needed (Larry). Also, there will be security threat such as gunrunners, drug traffickers, terrorist and illegal immigrants may take advantage of the new sea route due ice-free in the ocean to move people and contraband across Atlantic and Pacific oceans this moving these products in Europe or America. Increased security is needed to make sure that the people and the products shipped adhere to different laws and regulations. Also, for instance, Russia requires notice in advance for all vessels aiming to enter Northeast Passage this involves applying for some guidance and even fee payment for route usage.

To navigate in these routes, the icebreaker is needed. Germany, Finland, China, Japan, and Sweden contain the sea breaker preserves icebreaker fleets. On who controls, own and manages the waterway may bring conflicts between the four countries. Alaskan coastline makes the United States be considered as the Arctic nations. Due to increased border dispute in the region, the United States will have a great chance of safeguarding is the economic interest which can be enhanced if it establishes supreme right over the resources in the coastal region (Howard). The United States can cooperate with Arctic nations to achieve the interest they need in common and also help to resolve conflict in the area due to the natural resources and even the water passage in different countries. The arctic council has limited influence and impact to discourse military matters (Hinzman et al. 251-298). As much as it has achieved scientific assessment and generation of policy knowledge to the Arctic region, it lacks the mandate and regulatory authority to implement supportive security.

Illusion declaration was signed by the five Arctic nations to bring peace and collaboration in the region and help in solving disputes experienced in the area. But by the signing of illusion declaration, it has increased tension between the Arctic Council and the five Arctic countries as they think the council may dominate as the governing institution to the region issues or it will let five Arctic countries to prevail (Howard). A tension played recently is when Canada excluded Finland, Iceland Sweden, and representative of all native community in a meeting scheduled by five Arctic countries. If this tension increases, it will give America a chance to dominate the region because it has advanced military powers and also because the arctic council lacks the regulatory authority to help insecurity of the area. To support the Arctic policy United States will have to fill the military capacity gap in the region. The United States will assist in the militarization of the area by helping in the securing the natural resource and also the seaways (Hinzman et al. 251-298). This will increase its influence in the region, and this will help in acquiring all the economic resource such as petroleum and the hydrocarbon in the area. This will improve its economic status of the US and also it will dominate the arctic council. Moreover, Russia and the US have the vessel capable of breaking the polar ice. Russia as the largest icebreaker in the world. This icebreaker will help these northern countries if they conflict breaks up regarding the ownership and the control of the waterways in the region (Howard). The only way the United States may influence the area it's only if the Arctic five countries may have the crisis and the United States will provide military support thus increasing its influence.

Structure to prevent Arctic Council capture by the Northern States

There is an increase in commercial and economic interest in the Arctic area. But the arctic association have resisted the arrest or influence of any country in the region. If these countries have the power in the Arctic Council, they will dominate the area. The implication of this is to help the export of all the natural resources in the region increasing their economic growth and also the waterways will improve them in the movements of goods and products from one area to another, and this will increase their performance in the region (Hinzman et al. 251-298). To prevent this, the arctic council have developed a structure which helps only the Arctic members to have rights to vote (Paul and Young 17176). They contribute less as compared to the Arctic Council states when it comes to the contributions needed for the project developments. Arctic Council has given ad hoc observer status to China. China and the permanent observers have equal rights because they have no voting power, so they do not affect any decision making procedure in any of the meetings. For ad hoc observer to participate in any of the arctic council meetings it needs to apply for the nation to be permitted to participate. The permanent observers do not require any application for then to attend the Arctic Council meetings. The demand for European unions to convert to a permanent observer was obstructed by Canada. This example shows how it is difficult to apply for the permanent observer and the impact made by permanent observers in decision making. Due to the structure formed by the arctic council the northern states cannot take control of the arctic board to satisfy they are own economic and political control of the region as it contains essential natural resources and also waterways. Also, the five Arctic countries exclude all the people and all nations with an economic and commercial interest in the region thus the lands with the motive to control the area for their benefits are excluded before.

The Inter- America development bank as a structure of governance that help the institution to minimize the Northern countries from controlling this international organization. It contains board of governors from every member states, and their main aim is to govern the IDB and meet once a year to make policy to which govern the institution (Hinzman et al. 251-298). Different countries have the shares in the IDB with the United States having 30%, European Union 20% and Latin countries with 50%. The less developed countries came together as a group to form a group with the largest shareholders (Hinzman et al. 251-298). Although united states have the veto powers, other Latin countries have skills to protest against decisions made by other countries.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Northern countries control different international organizations to benefit their selfish interest. They mostly control these organization because they have more significant influence in the international organization. The arctic council consisting of the eight countries from the Arctic region does not allow members of other countries or encourage other countries or people in the area to secure their common properties that include minerals and hydrocarbons. Many northern states have a great interest in the Arctic region because it has many natural resources that can help them to develop economically. To prevent any dominance, the arctic counci...