The major challenges facing the high north are geopolitical in nature. An increasing demand for petroleum resources, the struggle against overfishing, the efforts to confront the effects of climate change – these issues all have strong geopolitical dimensions. Research on such issues and generation of new knowledge about them is the key challenge to northern research institutions.

Geopolitics
Geopolitical developments are crucial to the welfare of northern communities: The establishment of 200 mile exclusive economic zones – a development spurred by global negotiations in the 1970s – has been critical in securing the ocean´s wealth for the coastal states. By providing that coastal states have sovereign rights over the natural resources in the waters off their coasts, the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention is the very basis for national control over the natural resources in the ocean.

In the same way the international trade regime is essential to the generation of income in the north: since the area is sparsely populated, the domestic market for the products stemming from fishing and petroleum production is very small. Most of what is produced, has to be exported. The rules of the World Trade Organization as well as those of various regional trade agreements are critical to ensure that our products get access to international markets.

The Arctic in international politics
Traditional understandings of the workings of geopolitics have to be amended in order to understand current challenges in the north. In analyzing geopolitics, we have to account for how international cooperation can contribute to a peaceful and sustainable development. Our current challenges are not so much related to security politics as to confronting climate change and other environmental threats, ensuring sustainable resource management, and providing for a rule based system of international trade. These are challenges that no country can face in isolation, and understanding the preconditions for international cooperation in these areas is a critical research task.

In relation to fisheries management, Norway and Russia share important fish stocks in the north. In order to manage them sustainably, the two countries have to cooperate on deciding on levels of fishing and enforcement of rules. The cooperation celebrates its 30 year anniversary this year, and is by an large a successful venture in international cooperation. Ensuring the sustainability of fishing is however a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for ensuring that the wealth that resources bring benefit local communities: market access has also to be ensured.
Another example of geopolitical impacts in the high north is the growing petroleum industry, Spurred by the growing price of crude oil and gas, this development is driven by political turmoil in the Middle East, uncertainty about Russia as an actor in the international energy market, and a growing concern about energy security in the US and the EU.

The major environmental challenge in the north is related to global warming. Climate change is more intense than at lower latitudes, and and is likely to affect nature and societies substantially over the next decades. The arctic countries together account for some 40% of the global emissions of climate gases, and therefore face a real dilemma in terms of coming to grips with the problem. Again international cooperation is the key to confront the challenge, and the arctic countries, with the exception of the US, are parties to the Kyoto Protocol which require countries to reduce emissions of climate gases.

Geopolitical research in Tromsø
International fisheries management, international trade, petroleum developments, and the global climate regime constitute important research issues for the academic institutions in Tromsø. Knowledge about international institutions, their development and functions, how they can be improved and work more effectively, are ever more important in a globalized world.