Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic

Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic
Name	Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic
Date signed	12 May 2011
Location signed	Rovaniemi
Parties	United States; Canada; Kingdom of Denmark (for Greenland and Faroe Islands); Iceland; Norway; Russian Federation; Sweden; Finland
Deposited	Arctic Council
Languages	English; Russian

Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic

The Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic is a multilateral treaty concluded under the auspices of the Arctic Council aimed at coordinating search and rescue operations across the Arctic Ocean and adjacent polar regions. Negotiated amid increased maritime traffic along the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage and concerns raised by the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization, the agreement establishes coordinated regions, notification procedures, and mechanisms for cooperative responses among eight Arctic states.

Background and Negotiation

During the early 21st century, accelerated interest in the Arctic from actors such as Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, and cruise operators like Hurtigruten and Viking River Cruises intersected with strategic dynamics involving NATO members and the Russian Federation, prompting multilateral diplomacy within forums including the Arctic Council and bilateral talks between Canada and Denmark (Greenland). Incidents such as the MS Explorer sinking and increased activity on the Northern Sea Route brought attention from European Union institutions, United States Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and researchers at institutions like the Norwegian Polar Institute and Scott Polar Research Institute. Negotiations between delegations from Reykjavík, Moscow, Ottawa, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Washington, D.C. culminated in a signing ceremony in Rovaniemi that involved ministers and representatives from the eight Arctic states and representatives from the United Nations-affiliated agencies.

Parties and Geographic Coverage

The parties include Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (covering Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States. The agreement divides the Arctic into discrete search and rescue regions aligned with responses by the United States Coast Guard, Canadian Forces, Royal Danish Navy and Air Force, Icelandic Coast Guard, Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centres, Russian Maritime Rescue Service, and Swedish Maritime Administration. Coverage encompasses areas proximate to the Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Norwegian Sea, Greenland Sea, and routes connected to the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route that intersect with shipping lanes used by companies like Maersk and COSCO.

Key Provisions and Mechanisms

The agreement obliges parties to coordinate aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations, share information, and notify other states of incidents through established points of contact such as national rescue coordination centers and agencies including the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization. It establishes common standards for notification, coordination, transit, and entry for rescue units, harmonizing procedures used by entities like the International Search and Rescue (SAR) Community and national organizations including the Russian Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM), U.S. National Transportation Safety Board liaison offices, and the Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. Provisions address logistical cooperation, use of facilities in Svalbard and Thule Air Base, and interoperability with existing instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Implementation and Coordination

Implementation relies on national legislation and resources administered by agencies like the United States Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Norwegian Air Force, and Russian Maritime Rescue Service, coordinated through the Arctic Council’s working groups and bilateral memoranda between signatories. Regular exercises and table-top drills have involved organizations including Search and Rescue (SAR) teams, Coast Guard Administrations, military search units, and scientific bodies such as the Alfred Wegener Institute and Polar Research Board. Information exchange uses national rescue coordination centers, satellite assets provided by programs like Copernicus and Landsat, and communication protocols interoperable with systems supported by Inmarsat and Iridium Communications.

Incidents and Operational Use

Since entry into force, the agreement has guided responses to incidents involving cruise ships, fishing vessels, and aviation emergencies in Arctic waters, with cooperative operations among entities such as the Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, and U.S. Coast Guard District 17. Notable operational responses have involved coordination during extreme-weather incidents affecting vessels linked to companies like Hurtigruten and emergency evacuations supported by assets from the Royal Danish Air Force and Icelandic Coast Guard. Exercises such as multinational drills coordinated by the Arctic Council and emergency simulations involving NATO partners have tested interoperability and notification procedures.

Legal and Policy Implications

Legally, the agreement complements the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by clarifying cooperative search and rescue responsibilities but does not alter sovereignty, maritime boundaries, or claims related to continental shelf submissions to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Policy implications affect Arctic strategy documents of states like the United States Department of Defense, Government of Canada, Russian Federation Ministry of Defence, and Nordic foreign policy frameworks, shaping investments in assets from contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin for long-range SAR operations. The instrument also intersects with environmental governance regimes involving the International Maritime Organization polar code, indigenous organizations such as the Saami Council, regional authorities in Greenland and Nunavut, and scientific research priorities established by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Category:Arctic treaties Category:Search and rescue