Introduction

This book in itself is testimony to transition in the affairs of the north circumpolar region. Written in 1988 and updated in 1990, the papers assembled here have been overtaken by events. Non-military or civil requirements thus seemed to warrant a new and far more important place in our understanding of security. It’s appropriate to explore not only the potential of civil cooperation in countering the force of militarism, but the utility of a comprehensive conception of Arctic security. This book will look at how these views fare, once we’ve had a look at the region and its problems.