Jurisdiction5

**Jurisdiction** is the authority given to a legal body or to a political leader to adjudicate and enforce legal matters. The term is also used to denote the geographical area or subject-matter to which such authority applies. Jurisdiction implies responsibility. Complications often arise when there is uncertainty about what ministries or institutions are responsible (have jurisdiction over) a certain issue, or whether there are conflicts of interest.  International jurisdiction is applied to the management of the polar bears as they are considered an international circumpolar resource. There is an emphasis on conservation (over aboriginal rights) agreed on between 5 states(Canada, USA, Russia, Denmark, Greenland) within the Arctic coastlines, which manages seven separate polar bear populations.

