Arctic Policies of Non-Arctic States

This edited book offers updated, novel, and multidisciplinary perspectives on the Arctic policies of non-Arctic States, including those less frequently addressed in academic literature. While most chapters delve into existing Arctic policies, some explore Arctic policies in the making. Each contribution provides a combination of historical accounts, explanations of selected non-Arctic States’ interests in the Arctic, as well as discussions regarding their Arctic policies and role in Arctic law and governance. As such, Arctic Policies of Non-Arctic States covers, in alphabetical order, Belgium, China, Greece, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, and includes one general perspective on Asian States.

Medy Dervovic is a doctoral candidate at Reykjavík University researching the normative impact of climate change on the law of the sea in the Arctic. He is also a Visiting Researcher at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland. Medy is the Editor-in-Chief of A Compilation of International and Regional Instruments and Case-Law on Minorities and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (Brill | Nijhoff, 2025).Laura Ulatowski is a Project Officer at EIT Manufacturing and has worked as a Research Assistant at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland.Stefan Kirchner is a government advisor based in Germany and an Adjunct Professor at University College Cork, Ireland. He has taught international law at universities in Germany, Finland, Greenland, Italy, Lithuania and Ukraine. He also served as Research Professor of Arctic Law and as Arctic Governance Research Group Leader at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland.