Endringer i internasjonal Svalbard-politikk

The maritime area adjacent to Svalbard is potentially an arena of international conflict. If pushed to the extremes, disputes over jurisdiction and exclusive rights may threaten national security. This study examines the positions of different countries in regard to the Svalbard area and explores any policy changes. It is found that a number of parties to the Svalbard Treaty have changed their positions, and that their legal views are increasingly converging. This tendency is being reinforced by two contemporary processes: (1) The establishment of outer limits to the continental shelf adjacent to Svalbard is consolidating Norwegian jurisdiction, thus preventing others from challenging Norway's right to exercise jurisdiction in the maritime zones around the archipelago; and (2) Norway's diplomatic efforts in mustering understanding for its legal views among other Treaty parties has resulted in increased international interest in the resources of the Barents Sea and paradoxically in an increased awareness of national interests and rights that the Svalbard Treaty may provide in terms of exploration of the continental shelf and the fisheries protection zone.