Examining the implications of international interests on Arctic governance structures in the wake of rapid change

The current debate on governance in the Arctic suggests that growing influences and rapid change occurring in the Arctic are outside the scope and mandate of the Arctic Council. As new states and political entities continue to express interest in Arctic affairs, recent patterns spectacularly legitimize the proposition that the Arctic council may not be well equipped to handle and adjust to these changes occurring in the Arctic; however, the Arctic Council is modeled as an arena for diplomacy. The study seeks to examine the implications of international interests with regard to the structure of governance in the Arctic, by particularly studying the Arctic Council and its present mode of operations. To achieve the study’s aim, an analysis of international interest from the perspectives of two foremost international relations paradigms was conducted. Findings illustrate that realist predictions are unable to truncate predominant liberalist features of Arctic international politics, and that international interests for the Arctic region are incapable of disrupting the existing political landscape of the Arctic due to its very potent liberalist character. Contrary wise, a realist scenario of systemic, gradual ascension to power by non-arctic stakeholders due to weaknesses of the Arctic Council’s structure is not completely unimaginable