Diverse Soft-Law Cooperation Forms in the Arctic – Do They Complement or Contradict Each Other?

Abstract

Ongoing changes in the Arctic, primarily related to the region's physical and human environment, as a result of climate change, have both opened up new opportunities and posed threats to the governments and inhabitants of the region. A number of soft-law instruments, with the aim of ensuring the wellbeing of the region and combating the negative challenges of climate change, have been developed since the 1990s. This article will examine the synergy between three existing forms of Arctic soft-law governance in a select number of cases and will, in turn, provide suggestions as to how they may be improved. It will also analyse the motivation behind using soft law mechanisms, as opposed to formal international organisations.