Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North.
The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” amid increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international cooperation in the Arctic.”
A key part of the plan is to revive the role of Canada’s Arctic ambassador, which was removed in 2006 under the Harper government and commits to opening consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, and Anchorage, Alaska.
“The interests in the Arctic are changing,” said Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, adding the national organization was pleased with the final policy.
“There is a global interest in the Arctic, and an ambassador can help all other nation states, especially, understand the way in which Canada asserts its sovereignty, its relationship with Inuit, and other Indigenous Peoples who live in the Arctic.”
Read New York Times coverage here.
Canadian Press
Publication Date
December 6, 2024
