20 November 2024: CIL Dr Nilufer Oral was Invited to Speak at the International Workshop  on “Small States and Arctic Sustainability” Organized by the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University 

Our planet is facing social-ecological disruption by human activities at a scale with no parallels in human history. The impact of climate change is most visible in the Arctic, which are warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet (IPCC Special Report 2019). In recent years, the melting Arctic become rich grounds for the development of international law and governance in areas such as new shipping routes, fishing grounds, tourism and green energy transition. While every single move of great powers, e.g., the United States and China, is being scrutinized, it is noted that five out of eight Arctic Council Members – Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland (through Denmark) and Sweden are so-called small states.

“Small states, by their very nature, share specific concerns and common interests, such as environmental and economic vulnerabilities.”1 In today’s hyperconnected world, ecosystems, societies, and economies are linked like never before. The present, and the future, is characterised by the unprecedented movement of people, goods and products and the transfer of capital and information. Small states are therefore not necessarily only at the receiving end of international law and policy making process. In contrast, small states have been actively shaping contemporary international law and governance. The latest example is Vanuatu’s initiative to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change. What happens in the Arctic do not stay in the Arctic. Vice versa, lessons from other parts of the world, such as Singapore, the founder and the Chair of the Forum of Small States (FOSS), may also be valuable to help achieve sustainability in the Arctic Region. Small states within and beyond the Arctic should and are able to play significant roles in building a peaceful and sustainable future for the Arctic through law and governance at national, regional and international level.

Dr Oral was one of the panellists at the Opening Roundtable speaking on the topic “Small States and Rules-Based International Order”.

More about the workshop at the link: https://law.smu.edu.sg/newsletter/international-workshop-small-states-and-arctic-sustainability