MODERN CLAIMS TO THE NORTH
Currently, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows nations to claim the waters extending 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from their coast. A nation can submit a claim to extend its boundaries if it can prove the continental shelf stemming from their coast extends beyond the current border. Scientists from Canada, Russia and Denmark are each now trying to prove that the Lomonosov Ridge—running 1,800 kilometers from the top of Ellesmere Island across the North Pole and back south through Russian waters—is an extension of their continental shelf.
In 2002, Russia submitted a formal claim seeking recognition of Russian sovereignty over an extended northern boundary. This claim was quickly sent back for lack of scientific evidence (CBC News, “Russia Submits Claim for Vast Arctic Seabed Territories at U.N.”). Russia further attempted to stake its claim in 2007 when a submersible planted a Russian flag on the seabed at the North Pole. At the time, Boris Gryzlov, Chairman of the State Duma, declared that “our country remains the leader in conquering the Arctic” (National Post, “Russian Sub Plants Flag Under North Pole”).
Not to be outdone, Canada filed a partial claim with the United Nations in December of 2013, outlining the extent to which the government believed Canada’s jurisdiction should be extended while indicating that “it will make a pitch for the North Pole in a later submission” (Toronto Star, “Why Canada’s Race to Claim the North Pole Could Backfire”).
The U.N. commission faces such a backlog of submissions that a best-case scenario could see a decision reached in ten years.