Dear Colleagues,

On 19 September, both Associate Press and Reuters reported that Canada and Denmark failed to resolve their dispute over Hans Island, which is located between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland.  Apparently, the countries' foreign ministers discussed the issue during the UN summit in New York.  The ministers failed to settle the sovereignty dispute, but agreed to show restraint in order to avoid incidents and escalation.  They also pledged to hold talks "soon" to resolve the dispute.

The AP reported that global warming may increase interest in the island.  A reduction in polar ice may increase use of the Northwest Passage as a viable shipping route.  Access to northern fishing resources may also aggravate the issue.

The dispute over the 1.3-square kilometer island surfaced in 1973, when Canada and Denmark delimited a continental shelf boundary, except for the immediate vicinity of the island. 

Regards,
Dan Dzurek