Keywords
Inclusive Governance
Global South
Contested Common
Arctic Council
UN Law
How to Cite
Abstract
The Arctic has emerged as a critical arena of environmental transformation and geopolitical competition which is further amplified by climate change. This paper presents a case to examine the Arctic as a global common within a sovereignty-based international order. Using a qualitative analysis of legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, and secondary academic and policy literature, the study applies the concepts of global commons, state sovereignty, and contested commons. The paper argues that while the Arctic functions ecologically as a global common, its governance remains territorially anchored and fragmented. The analysis focuses on the roles of the Arctic Council and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in shaping regional governance, showing how cooperation coexists with rising geopolitical competition. It further highlights perspectives from India and the Global South that emphasize climatic interdependence, equity, and broader participation. The paper therefore conceptualizes the Arctic as a contested common, where global climatic significance contrasts with a governance system structured primarily around territorial authority.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mehak Singh (Translator); Dr Prashant Shahi (Author)