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As reported by CBC News on November 9, Inuit leaders met with the Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister in Ottawa to finalize an updated Arctic foreign policy for Canada. The new policy is expected to strengthen Inuit participation in international conversations about the Arctic and include the reinstatement of an Arctic ambassador. Inuit leaders have been working with Global Affairs Canada to develop the new Arctic foreign policy since the spring. (CBC News)
Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy is an important signal that the country is investing in Arctic diplomacy. The country faces numerous environmental and security challenges in the Arctic, from exceptional warming across the region to increasing polar cooperation between Russia and China. Arctic warming also has severe consequences for many communities in Canada, with climate change triggering wildfires, exacerbating food insecurity, damaging critical infrastructure, and threatening livelihoods. Although Canada has always been a key actor in Arctic cooperation, recent actions have diminished its diplomatic presence in the region, even as other states have worked to enhance their foreign engagement. For instance, in 2023, the Canadian government relocated the Canadian International Arctic Centre, one of the institutions responsible for implementing Canada’s International Arctic Policy, from Oslo to Ottawa, moving the center further away from many of the region’s forums for cooperation. With global attention on the Arctic continuing to grow, reinstating the position of Arctic ambassador will help strengthen Canada’s diplomatic efforts in the region and reassert its commitment to Arctic affairs. Moreover, strengthening Inuit participation in international conversations is essential to ensure that the Arctic’s principal stakeholders are at the center of determining the region’s future. Thus, the updated Arctic foreign policy marks a new phase for Canadian diplomacy in the region that will hopefully invigorate international cooperation to tackle the Arctic’s growing challenges. (National Post, Reuters, The Mackenzie Institute, US Department of State)
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