Introduction

The predominant role of the state needs to be understood to make sense of the roles occupied by other actors, as well as their influence. A state-centric approach makes sense when considering the dominant role played by sovereign states in the economic and social development of the region, given that state guidance and assistance often remains pivotal to development projects in sparsely populated and remote, austere operating environments. Conceptualized as a co-operative patchwork, scholars regularly invoke the concept of governance to describe Arctic co-operation. Despite the complexity of Arctic governance, existing scholarship predominantly focuses on the politics of and relations between states. International organizations have developed agreements specific to the Arctic region. In this form of governance, global institutions and their extensive membership act as convenors and craft region-specific agreements. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.