Governing the North American Arctic by Dawn Alexandrea Berry Nigel Bowles & Halbert Jones

Author:Dawn Alexandrea Berry, Nigel Bowles & Halbert Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

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Premier Partners: Canada, the United States, and Arctic Security

Rob Huebert and P. Whitney Lackenbauer

Canada and the United States have always had a complicated relationship regarding the Arctic. Popular and public rhetoric often suggests that the region represents a major source of tension between the two close allies.1 This reflects Canada’s persistent preoccupation with Arctic sovereignty, with the United States cast as a perennial threat since the days of the Alaska Boundary Dispute, as well as the United States’ preoccupation with continental security since World War II. In practice, Canada and the United States have long collaborated in the Arctic through bilateral defense and security agreements, as well as in science and technology, environmental protection, infrastructure development, and surveillance. Canadian hypernationalism and the global scope of US geopolitical interests often obscure this enduring partnership.

In the decade after the end of the Cold War, Canada and the United States either eliminated or allowed to wither away military capabilities to protect the Arctic region. In the new millennium, however, a new debate emerged about Arctic security in light of climate change and the potential for heightened competition as sea routes and resources became more accessible.2 Commentators differ in their assessments of the underlying principles of the new regional security regime, with some contending that it is principally based on elements of cooperation and others anticipating or discerning heightened competition and conflict.3 Official strategies reflect both scenarios. Arctic States indicated their aspirations to enhance cooperation and strengthen frameworks that facilitate the resolution of existing differences and manage a region that is becoming increasingly globalized. Concurrently, the Arctic States have initiated and (to varying degrees) implemented programs to invest in robust defense capabilities to prepare for new security threats.

Both Canada and United States have developed extensive policy frameworks that affirm the rising geopolitical profile of the region, reveal their assumptions and priorities, and indicate an evolution in how regional security is understood. We analyze strategic documents produced by both countries since 2006 to discern where and how their respective frameworks and objectives converge and diverge. The Canada First Defense Strategy (2008), Northern Strategy (2009), and Arctic Foreign Policy (2010) provide the core frameworks for Canada as it pursues its Arctic security objectives. The United States’ strategic guidance on the Arctic is articulated in National Security Presidential Directive/NSPD-66 – Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-25: Arctic Region Policy (2009), as well as the Obama administration’s National Strategy for the Arctic Region (2013). Other official policies and/or strategies, including the US Navy Arctic Roadmap (2009 and 2014), 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, National Security Strategy (2010), and Department of Defense Arctic Strategy (2013) also yield insights into the growing emphasis on comprehensive security and international collaboration. Careful consideration of the core themes suggests that the Americans are developing an understanding of Arctic security that echoes much of Canada’s thinking.

Brought into dialogue, the two countries’ evolving strategies and overarching national security objectives are well aligned, highlighting the advancement of security interests, pursuit of responsible stewardship, and strengthened international cooperation to ‘contribute to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Arctic Region’.

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