UNCLOS ill-suited for dealing with the issues of a melting Arctic

The procedure prescribed by UNCLOS, the international legal framework under which most Arctic nations are currently operating, could potentially prove effective in resolving the present dispute over Arctic territory, but there are many more issues facing the region that call for a new international agreement. A comprehensive treaty would be a more effective means of resolving not just the jurisdictional controversy, but also further concerns unique to the Arctic, including the environment, national security, management and exploitation of natural resources, Inuit interests, and governance of waterway usage. The issues arising in the Arctic, due to its unique icy makeup, cannot all be addressed within the UNCLOS framework, whose principles and legal norms were developed for governance of open water, not glacial masses.¹⁶³