Demilitarization and International Law in Context: The Åland Islands

by Sia Åkermark, Saila Heinikoski, Pirjo Kleemola-Juntunen

Overview

The demilitarisation and neutralisation of the Åland Islands is a confirmation of, and an exception to, the collective security system in present-day international affairs. Its core idea is that there is no need for military presence in the territory of the islands and that they are to be kept out of military activities. A restricted use of military force has a confidence building effect in cases where competing interests may be so intense that banning the very presence of military force remains the only viable option. The regime of the Åland Islands is the result of pragmatic and contingent political compromises. As such, the case of the Åland Islands offers an alternative trajectory to the increased militarisation we witness around the world today.

Through parliamentary and archival materials, international treaties and academic works, the authors examine the legal rules and institutional structures of the demilitarisation regime. In this process they reassess core concepts of international law and international affairs, such as sovereignty and security, and introduce a theoretical view on the empirical case study of the Åland Islands. The book covers legal, political and policy discursive aspects of demilitarisation, international co-operation, defence and security matters around the Baltic Sea with a broader European and global relevance. It can be a source of inspiration for all those in search of constructive efforts that can address territorial disputes and security challenges.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367607081
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/14/2020
Series:	Routledge Research in International Law
Pages:	142
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, Jur. dr., Associate Professor (docent) in international law, Director, The Åland Islands Peace Institute (Finland). Her work focuses on diversity, autonomy, the use of force and international law and its institutions.

Saila Heinikoski , Ph.D. (Political Science), M.A. (University of Turku, Finland). Her work focuses on the European Union, European and national foreign and security policies, mobility and political discourses.

Pirjo Kleemola-Juntunen, LL.D., LL.Lic., LL.M., Postdoctoral Researcher, Northern Institute for Minority and Environmental Law/Artic Centre, University of Lapland. Her work focuses on international law in particular the law of the sea and international environmental law.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Notes on Co-authors ix

Abbreviations x

1 Introduction: The Goal and Structure of the Book 1

1.1 Early Occurrence of Demilitarisation 3

1.2 The Concept of Demilitarisation 7

1.3 The Birth and Impact of 'Comprehensive Security' 9

1.4 From the Cold War to a Multipolar World? 13

1.5 Militarisation Trends and Discourses Today 14

1.6 Geopolitics and Securitisation as Potential Justifications for Militarisation 17

2 The Legal Regulation of the Demilitarisation and Neutralisation of the Åland Islands 21

2.1 An Overview of the International Agreements Establishing the Demilitarisation and Neutralisation of the Åland Islands 21

2.2 The 1921 Convention on the Non-Fortification and the Neutralisation of the Åland Islands 27

2.3 The Åland Islands and Finland After the Second World War 33

2.4 Times of Challenge 35

2.5 Remarks on the Legal Validity of the Norms 42

3 The Law of the Sea and the Demilitarisation of Åland 44

3.1 Maritime Jurisdictional Zones 47

3.2 Navigational Rights 52

3.3 Navigational Rights in the Territorial Waters of the Åland Islands 58

4 Regional Security Co-operation and the Åland Islands 65

4.1 Finland, Åland and the European Union (EU) 66

4.2 Integration in the Baltic Sea Region and the Åland Islands 73

4.3 Bilateral and Nordic Co-operation: The Example of SUCBAS 77

4.4 Finland, Åland and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 83

4.5 The Åland Islands in Regional Security Co-operation as Understood in Finland 87

4.6 Demilitarisation Between Regionalism and Multilateralism 94

5 Outlook and Conclusions 96

5.1 Peace Through Law? 96

5.2 The Concept of Sovereignty Reshaped 100

5.3 The Aland Islands Regime as Part of Contemporary Collective Security 107

5.4 Afterword: Does the Demilitarisation Add Anything to the Quest for Peace in the Baltic Sea? 109

Appendix 113

Bibliography 114

Index 129