Featuring 100 milestone documents of american history from the national archives. Treaty signed at paris february 9,1920, with annex. Treaty knowing full well that i would be ruthlessly attacked. Norway has sovereignty over svalbard under a 100yearold treaty but citizens of all its signatory countries, including russia, can settle and conduct business there on an equal basis. This file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Kent whealys response regarding svalbard on september 26, 2010 i gave a speech at the land institute entitled svalbard doomsday vault. From terra nullius to norwegian sovereignty, oslo 1995. Coal mining, tourism, and international research are svalbard s major industries. The svalbard law this is where the term svalbard came in came into force on 14 august 1925. The spitsbergen treaty of february 9, 1920, recognises the full and absolute sovereignty of norway over the arctic archipelago of spitsbergen now called svalbard. This day is considered svalbard s national day in longyearbyen. Sarah wolf svalbards maritime zones, their status under. The gen ographical application of the svalbard treaty in svalbards maritime zones, i.
If you have a foreign address, enter city, province or state, postal code, and country. The first airport near longyearbyen was constructed during world war ii. The treaty between norway, the united states of america, denmark, france, italy, japan, the netherlands, great britain and ireland and the british overseas dominions and sweden concerning spitsbergen, signed in paris 9 february 1920, commonly called the svalbard treaty or the spitsbergen treaty, recognises the sovereignty of norway over the arctic archipelago of svalbard, at the time called. This is a version that was modified by the norwegian ministry of justice in 1988 as mentioned. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74 to 81 north, and 10 to 34 east.
It will then discuss in more detail the views presented by different states parties on the application of the svalbard treaty on the continental shelf and in the 200mile zone sections 4 and 5, and then put forward some possible solutions to these legal issues section 6. Germany, a signatory to the treaty, promptly took over the archipelago and used it specifically for military purposes. Currently, the dispute focuses mainly on its scope of applicability. North korea signs svalbard treaty spitsbergen svalbard. Court has dealt with the questions of the svalbard treatys area of application and the nondiscriminatory regulations applied in the fpz. The training seminars organized by the treaty section at united nations.
Nevertheless, under the treaty, the name used in the 1920 treaty concerning the archipelago of norway is obliged to give the citizens and companies of the spitsbergen, svalbard is the modern norwegian name of the signatory nations equal rights in certain areas, such as. A russian foreign ministry spokeswoman told a news briefing on thursday that norway had been practically violating the treaty in recent years, harming. Why has north korea suddenly ratified the svalbard treaty. Senate advice and consent to ratification february 18,1924.
The constrained politics of the svalbard offshore area. The treaty of 9 february 1920 concerning spitsbergen the svalbard treaty recognises norwegian sovereignty over svalbard. This pdf file contains the north atlantic treaty, more popularly known as the washington treaty, signed by the 12 founding members of the alliance, as well as the accession protocols for the 16 countries which have joined the organization since 1949. The svalbard treaty, one of the few intergovernmental treaties in the arctic area, has drawn global attention. However, the treaty subjected the recognition of norways sovereignty to stipulations. Pdf the svalbard treaty and its claimed extendedreach jurisdiction incorporating both the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone eez ie. For further information on tax treaties refer also to the treasury departments tax treaty documents page. The svalbard treaty and the exploitation of nonliving.
Feb 01, 2016 well, to start with, the svalbard treaty has not been mostly forgotten, in the past 20 years iceland, czech republic and lithuania as late as 20. This article concentrates on the problematic meaning of full and absolute yet qualified sovereignty within the context of the svalbard treaty. Peace events of the 20th and 21st centuries the 20th century witnessed the most destructive wars in human history. Treaty concerning the archipelago of spitsbergen,2 svalbard is the modern. The nondiscrimination requirement and geographical. The land area is 61,022 km 2 23,561 sq mi, and dominated by the island of spitsbergen, which constitutes more than half the archipelago, followed by nordaustlandet and edgeoya. The treaty defines several frame conditions, such as. Fisheries regulation in the maritime zones of svalbard. Dispute over the applicable scope of the svalbard treaty. Norway repudiates the dynamic legal extension of the svalbard treaty to these geographic areas, which postdate the treaty. The spitsbergen treaty of 1920 conferred sovereignty on norway regarding svalbard subject to the stipulations of the treaty.
The svalbard treaty originally the spitsbergen treaty recognises the sovereignty of norway over the arctic archipelago of svalbard, at the time called spitsbergen. This was certainly not met with great public sympathy, but even norwegian officials commented that this was probably not a breach of the spitsbergen treaty. Svalbard, a part of the kingdom of norway, including one municipality longyearbyen, lies in the arctic ocean north of mainland europe. Home norway rejects moscows claim it violated svalbard treaty file photo. Coal mining has historically been the dominant economic activity, and the spitzbergen treaty of 9 february 1920 gives the 45 countries that so far have ratified the treaty equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to norwegian regulation. These stipulations have given rise to several disputes involving the norwegian government on the one hand, and companies operating on svalbard and parties to the treaty on the other. Under the 1920 treaty of spitsbergen, the full and f absolute sovereignty of norway over the svalbard. Coal mining, tourism, and international research are the major revenue sources on svalbard. This treaty, which was signed in 1920 in versailles and came into force in 1925, gave norway sovereignty over the spitsbergen archipelago the original treaty document does not have the name svalbard while maintaining rights of signatory governments and their citizens to be economically and scientifically active without the need for a general.
The exercise of sovereignty is, however, subject to certain stipulations, and not all norwegian law applies. If you have problems opening the pdf document or viewing pages, download the latest version of adobe acrobat reader. Then enter the name part of your kindle email address below. The 1920 svalbard treaty conferred full and absolute sovereignty on norway but paradoxically limited that sovereignty by conferring on states party to the treaty equal enjoyment and liberty of access provisions on svalbard and in its territorial waters. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of svalbard government 2020 information contained here. The svalbard treaty of 1920 defines svalbard as all islands, islets and skerries from 74 to 81 north latitude, and from 10 to 35 east longitude. The treaty regulates the demilitarisation of the archipelago. Norwegian sovereignty over svalbard must be considered binding also on nonparties to the svalbard treaty under customary international law, as a.
It entered into force on 14 august 1925, from which date svalbard became an indivisible and inalienable part of the kingdom of norway through a separate act of law, the svalbard act act no. Norway tax treaty documents internal revenue service. The legal status of svalbard and its competence to generate maritime zones has long been disputed. Almost 100 years after its inception, the svalbard treaty is meeting new challenges. The disputed maritime zones around svalbard geir ulfstein. An aerial view shows snowcovered mountains in svalbard. Norway, russia, and a changing svalbard over the circle.
Whether these provisions now extend to geographic areas adjacent to svalbards territorial seaspecifically to svalbards oilrich. Fisheries regulation in the maritime zones of svalbard article in the international journal of marine and coastal law 271. The present treaty will come into force, in so far as the stipulations of article 8 are concerned, from the date of its ratifications by all the signatory powers. The svalbard treaty the svalbard treaty, which was signed in paris on 9 february 1920, granted norway full and absolute sovereignty over svalbard. Norway and russia agree on maritime boundary in the.
Pdf the geographic scope of the svalbard treaty and. Treaty of peace with germany treaty of versailles treaty and protocol signed at versailles june 28, 1919. The gen ographical application of the svalbard treaty in svalbard s maritime zones, i. Spitsbergen treaty at wikisource the svalbard treaty or the spitsbergen treaty, recognises the sovereignty of norway over the arctic archipelago of svalbard, at the time called spitsbergen. The treaty section provides advice and assistance on treaty law, the depositary practice of the secretarygeneral, the registration of treaties, and the drafting of final clauses of multilateral treaties, either upon request or through its training seminars.
The svalbard treaty of 1920, while innovative at the time because of its careful balance of norwegian sovereignty with equal access rights for other countries 3 norwegian royal ministry of justice 1988 treaty of 9 february 1920 relating to spitsbergen svalbard. Pdf the geographic scope of the svalbard treaty and norwegian. Finally, the 2010 agreement might even pave the way for a future settlement of the ongoing dispute on the interpretation of the svalbard treaty. Spitsbergen treaty wikisource, the free online library. However, as part of the compromise with the signatories, despite norwegian sovereignty not all norwegian law applies. The historical case studiesthe 1920 svalbard treaty and the implementation of the fisheries protection zone in the svalbard archipelago. Spitsbergen, comprising, with bear island or beereneiland, all the islands. Jul 17, 2019 the treaty concerning spitsbergen of 9 february 1920 declared the arctic archipelago of spitsbergen now called svalbard an overseas part of the kingdom of norway article 1. Status of spitsbergen svalbard treatysigned atparisfebruary9,1920, with annex senate advice andconsent to ratification february 18,1924 ratifiedbythe president ofthe unitedstatesmarch4, 1924 ratification ofthe unitedstates deposited at paris april2, 1924 proclaimed bythe president ofthe unitedstatesjune 10, 1924. The svalbard treaty and the exploitation of nonliving resources on the continental shelf lea muhlenschulte iii yet, norway still applies a double standard, basing its claim to maritime zones and a shelf on the development of international law, even though those areas were not mentioned in the. Coal mining is the dominant economic activity and a treaty of 9 february 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to norwegian regulation. Treaty of hell gate, 1855 washington state historical.
It is 5 km northwest of longyearbyen on the west coast, and is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled public flights. Treaty of hell gate, 1855 articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the treatyground at hell gate, in the bitter root valley, this sixteenth day of july, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fiftyfive, by and between isaac i. The 1920 svalbard treaty conferred full and absolute sovereignty on norway but paradoxically limited that sovereignty by conferring on states party to the treaty equal enjoyment and liberty of access. Svalbard lufthavn, longyear is the main airport serving svalbard in norway. In 1920, the states parties to the svalbard treaty recognized norwaya s a full and absolutea sovereignty over the svalbard archipelago.
Article 1 of the svalbard treaty grants norway sovereignty over the archipelago and its territorial waters and norway holds that the archipelago constitutes a part of the natural prolongation of the mainland continental shelf and that the continental shelf therefore is subject to norwegian. Norway rejects moscows claim it violated svalbard treaty. Svalbard by concealing the fact that being deposited in svalbard places seed savers members seed collection under the control of the united nations fao treaty, which was specifically designed to facilitate access by corporate breeders. Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the arctic region. Jonas poole seems to unilaterally moved the article from svalbard to spitsbergen merely because he personally disagrees with the renaming of the archipelago in the 1920s. By nerijus adomaitis oslo reuters norway has rejected russian accusations of violating the terms of an international treaty regulating activities on the arctic archipelago of svalbard, as a dip. Norway, which administers svalbard under the terms of the spitsbergen svalbard treaty, a document. Stevens, governor and superintendent of indian affairs for the territory of washington, on. History lessons for the arctic center for strategic and. The svalbard treaty and its claimed extendedreach jurisdiction incorporating both the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone eez ie a fisheries protection zone fpz is an. But spitsbergen did not become a part of norway just as any other part of the mainland. Even today, there are tensions with norways membership of nato and its regular patrols around svalbard with an armed coast guard vessel which incidentally is the largest ship in its navy by gross tonnage. The svalbard treaty and the exploitation of nonliving resources.
Includes images of original primary source documents, lesson plans, teacher and student competitions, and educational resources. However, citizens and companies from all treaty nations enjoy the same right of access to and residence in svalbard. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. The third part is dedicated to the svalbard treaty of 1920 which granted norway sovereignty over svalbard and other states parties certain nodiscriminatory rights. Dec 19, 2016 download the report purchase a print version this study examines three historical maritime disputes to draw lessons and insights for the future of maritime governance in a rapidly transforming arctic. With regard to methods of acquisition, enjoyment and exercise of the right of owner ship of property, including mineral rights, in the territories specified in article 1, norway. Mar 14, 2017 almost 100 years after its inception, the svalbard treaty is meeting new challenges. The university centre in svalbard unis is a unique institution with a history that is closely related to norwegian policy regarding svalbard, and to clever development of a highly specialised arctic university institution by all the norwegian universities. The treaty of svalbard became effective on 14 august 1925, and according to the act of 17 july 1925, svalbard is part of the kingdom of norway. The svalbard treaty of 1920 ensures that despite norways formal sovereignty, no country can. By its terms, the treaty refers to the svalbard archipelago and the.
The svalbard treaty originally the spitsbergen treaty recognises the sovereignty of norway. Referring to the spitsbergen treaty as the svalbard treaty would be an extension of this irresponsibility. See lotta numminen, a history and functioning of the spitsbergen treaty, in the. The svalbard treaty faces new challenges arctictoday. Form w8ce notice of expatriation and waiver of treaty benefits department of the treasury internal revenue service name of owner city, town or post office, state, and zip code. The architecture competition for students by students. The complete texts of the following tax treaty documents are available in adobe pdf format. Perhaps as many as twentyfive million people died and countless others were wounded.
233 692 1355 1045 125 838 76 770 539 970 408 1366 1004 1246 413 596 1216 115 479 462 1536 1229 1535 1529 127 389 1320 128 1504 861 840 1457 1172 168 657 1201 170 1561 865 1019 667 1106 1143 873 354 354 1336