International Collaboration

The Arctic is surrounded by land claimed by many world powers, and has always been an arena for international collaboration and competition. One of the most compelling reasons for the early exploration of the Arctic was to search for a Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean to shorten trading routes between the Atlantic and the Pacific. These expeditions were largely undertaken with a more of competitive than collaborative spirit, but because the Arctic is an inhospitable place and exploratory missions were always costly and risky, over time it became apparent that well-funded cooperative expeditions were more likely to be successful.

As the forays into the Arctic yielded more information about the harsh environment, scientists in particular began to see the value of sharing resources and information, and started actively promoting the idea of more collaboration between nations. As a result, the international community established the following significant international organizations and events: