Challenges and Opportunities in Polar Law

In the week following the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík on October 16-18, the 18th Polar Law Symposium (PLS) will be held in Nuuk, Greenland, from October 22nd to 24th. The symposium is jointly organized by the University of Akureyri and Ilisimatusarfik (the University of Greenland).

Active participation from students

UNAK and Ilisimatusarfik have had a fruitful collaboration over the years, including cooperation on distance learning, teacher and student exchanges, and shared courses, especially in Polar Law studies. A number of scholars and staff from UNAK will participate in this year’s symposium in Nuuk, including Director of the Polar Law Programme, Dr Antje Neumann; Dr Romain Chuffart, Nansen Professor of Arctic Studies; Professor Rachael Lorna Johnstone; Sara Fusco, adjunct at the Faculty of Law; and Helga Númadóttir, researcher at the Stefansson Arctic Institute. The IASC-funded student research project "New Insights in Polar Law" brings five Polar Law students from the University of Akureyri to Nuuk to participate in the event alongside five students from Ilisimatusarfik. The students will explore outstanding issues in Polar Law, identifying those they consider most important for research, and share their findings with other participants at the conference.

Interest in the Arctic is increasing

The 18th PLS Symposium features a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers: Dr Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council International; Dr Alan Hemmings, specialist on Antarctic governance and Adjunct Professor at Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury; and Ambassador Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials of the Arctic Council for 2025-2027. Over 150 participants will join this year’s event. The overarching theme for this year’s symposium—“Indigenous Rights, Autonomy, Empowerment, and Environment”—seeks to highlight unresolved and emerging challenges in Polar Law while recognizing Greenland’s unique legal, constitutional, political, and historical context.

Rachael, who is one of the main organisers of the event, said, “Greenland is at the centre of attention in Arctic studies these days – for good or ill – and we are delighted though not surprised at the level of interest in the symposium. We’ve even had to close registration a month early! I look forward very much to learning from all the participants, not least our three outstanding keynote speakers. At the same time, support for early-career scholars is at the heart of the Polar Law research community and we are always keen to welcome new ideas. I am confident the “New Insights” cohort will provide food for thought for the more seasoned scholars.”

Maria Ackrén, Professor of Political Science at the University of Greenland, who is one of the main organisers, can only agree with Rachael that Greenland has attracted a lot of foreign scholars and students to take part in this year’s Polar Law Symposium. “We would also like to emphasize that Polar Law Symposium gathers researchers and students from various disciplines to discuss and exchange ideas about topical issues in both the Arctic and Antarctic areas. Polar Law Symposium is therefore a unique opportunity for networking and enhance understanding from different perspectives. The conference is a very friendly and welcoming event.”

The symposium an important platform

Polar Law emphasizes the importance of the rule of law and international cooperation in addressing challenges in the polar regions. Since its inception in 2008, the annual Polar Law Symposium has become an essential platform for sharing research-based scientific knowledge on a variety of issues relevant to the Arctic and Antarctica. Each year, the symposium attracts numerous scholars and researchers from around the world, with the most recent gathering held in September 2024 in Östersund, Sápmi. The 19th Polar Law Symposium will be held in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in 2026. Every symposium is followed by a collection of peer-reviewed proceedings, the Yearbook of Polar Law, published by Brill.