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Security Brief

10 Questions and Answers About the Svalbard Treaty

Sven G. Holtsmark, professor, IFS
Foto: Dowloaded from the archive of the Governor of Svalbard.nen på Svalbard

Read our latest Security Brief written by Sven G. Holtsmark, professor in history at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS).

The Svalbard treaty, or Treaty concerning the Archipelago of Spitsbergen, Traité relatif à l’Archipel du Spitsberg, was signed in Paris on 9 February 1920 by representatives of Norway, the USA, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom with Dominions and Sweden. Since then, many states have joined the treaty. As of December 2020, the treaty has around 45 signatories, all of which enjoy the same rights as the original treaty parties. The treaty went into force on 14 August 1925, and Svalbard became Norwegian territory.

In this Security Brief, Professor Sven G. Holtsmark provides you with 10 answers to 10 of the most common questions about the Svalbard Treaty.

You can read and download the Security Brief here.