The Russian International Affairs Council, in cooperation with the Russian Association of International Maritime Law and the Pew International Environmental Group, has held an international theoretical & practical seminar entitled "International cooperation in the field of environmental protection, conservation and sound management of biological resources in the Arctic Ocean".
The Russian International Affairs Council, in cooperation with the Russian Association of International Maritime Law and the Pew International Environmental Group, has held an international theoretical & practical seminar entitled "International cooperation in the field of environmental protection, conservation and sound management of biological resources in the Arctic Ocean".
The event took place on September 4, 2012 and was part of the project "Roadmap for International cooperation in the Arctic".
The seminar invited Russian and foreign environmental and international law experts. RIAC General Director Andrei Kortunov opened the event. Moderators of the meeting were Alexander Vylegzhanin, Head of the International Law Department of MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, vice-president of the Russian Association of International Maritime Law, and Ambassador David Balton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Fisheries.
The experts present examined a number of issues:
- Legal and political cooperation in environmental protection in the Arctic Ocean;
- Environmental interests of Arctic states in the region;
- State of environment in the Arctic and its development in light of climate change and human impact in the medium and long term;
- Conservation of marine living resources and their management in the central area of the Arctic Ocean (outside the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of Russia, United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway);
- Formation of a regional legal framework for the conservation and management of biological resources in the open part of the Arctic Ocean (outside the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of the five Arctic states);
- Investments, technologies and infrastructure needed to ensure the environmental safety of the Arctic Ocean.
The reports of the following persons were presented for discussion:
- Natalia Hludeneva, a leading researcher at the Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Resources Legislation Department of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation
- Scott Highleyman, Director, International Arctic Program of the Pew Environmental Group
- Ted McDorman, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, Canada
- Anna Kukushkina, associate professor at the International Law Department, MGIMO University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
- Damir Bekyashev, associate professor at the International Law Department, MGIMO University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
- Dave Benton, fisheries expert at the United States Arctic Research Commission, former Chairman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council of the United States
- Igor Ashiq, Head of the Department of Oceanology, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
- Paul Berkman, Professor, University of Cambridge, UK
- Vyacheslav Zilanov, Chairman, Coordinating Council of Fishery Workers of the Russian Federation
- Ekaterina Hmeleva, Head of the World Wildlife Fund program in Russia on environmental law
Preparation of a report is expected at the end of the seminar.
International theoretical & practical seminar entitled "International cooperation in the field of environmental protection, conservation and sound management of biological resources in the Arctic Ocean"
