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Canada is about to issue a new one Arctic foreign policy which aims to strengthen its diplomatic and security posture in the north to counter growing threats from foreign actors and climate change, the government said on Thursday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Jolie said the policy released Friday will respond to the growing global threat environment and Canada’s responsibility to protect its Arctic sovereignty and the security of other Arctic nations as well as the United States.
“One thing is clear: the world is getting harder, and the conflicts we see in the world are connected,” she said. “So we have to be more robust in our response.”
Jolie will make Friday’s announcement alongside Defense Secretary Bill Blair and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal.
The growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic, facilitated by shrinking ice shelves caused by climate change, has been identified as Canada’s top security priority.
Canadian Chief of Defense Staff General Jenny Carignan, told Global News last month that Arctic security is one of her top priorities, indicating increased cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. She said more investment and faster acquisition of new technologies are needed to combat this threat.
The US has urged the federal government to step up its stance and investment in the North, fulfilling its defense commitments to both NATO and NORAD.
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The updated defense policy includes billions of dollars in new Arctic security investments, on top of nearly $40 billion in previously announced spending to modernize NORAD.
Ottawa’s pledge to meet Nato’s defense spending target of two per cent of GDP by 2032 — a timeline criticized by allies as too long and a parliamentary budget officer as unrealistic — is based in part on buying a new fleet of submarines to patrol the north. .
Canada signed a tripartite pact with the U.S. and Finland in July to boost the production of new Arctic and polar icebreakers, and last month signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the partnership.
Icebreakers were among the topics discussed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s dinner with US President-elect Donald Trump last week, according to the Canadian Press.
Canada has no diplomatic or consular presence in the Arctic, but has sought to strengthen relations with Arctic countries through forums such as the Arctic Council and NATO.
The Canadian Forces use a reserve force, the Canadian Rangers, to patrol remote, coastal and northern regions with patrols of these reservists. located in dozens of communities in the North and the Arctic.
A threat assessment released last week by the Defense Association Institute listed climate change; state threats from Russia, China and others; and “a disruptive international order based on the rule of law,” which is the main threat Canada and North America face in the Arctic.
The report recommends appointing an “Arctic Champion,” akin to a U.S. ambassador for Arctic affairs, to lead and promote a new Arctic strategy, as well as prioritizing the modernization of NORAD and coordination with allies.
It said the threat could not be addressed by military means alone and called for a “more coordinated and integrated approach”.
“Unfortunately, the Canadian government is not structured to provide an integrated approach to these threats and challenges,” the authors write.
© 2024 Global News, Corus Entertainment Inc. department.
