Skip to main content

LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Chapter 1 - The Importance of International Arctic Cooperation: A New Era and A Canadian Agenda

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that the Government, in making a comprehensive response to this Report, elaborate an explicit international policy framework in which Canada's objectives in pursuing circumpolar cooperation and the proposed means for their achievement are systematically set out. In order to build public awareness and seek additional input, we further recommend that such a "Canadian Circumpolar Cooperation Framework" be considered by a national public forum, with representation from all regions, especially from northern Canada, and from interested provincial and territorial governments, to be held during the period of Canada's chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Chapter 2 - Realizing a `Northern' Dimension in Canadian Foreign Policy

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the federal Government lead in devising an "Arctic Region 2000 Strategy" that would establish a coherent set of Canadian priorities for the next century, including pursuit of foreign policy objectives in the context of Recommendation 1 for a Canadian Circumpolar Cooperation Framework. The process for developing and carrying forward this strategy should fully involve provinces and territories whose interests are affected, but should also be more than just interdepartmental and intergovernmental. In particular, provision should be made for direct public and parliamentary input, participation by NGOs and, especially, northern-based and aboriginal groups. To that end, we recommend that a continuing consultative mechanism be attached to the Strategy which would promote consensus-building around long-term solutions and advise on policy evolution and implementation issues. As part of that mechanism, a circumpolar foreign policy working group should be established to focus on effective ways of achieving Canadian interests through international initiatives and through leadership in multilateral cooperation bodies, notably the Arctic Council.

Recommendation 3

The Committee recommends that a Division for Circumpolar Affairs be established within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to support the work of the office of the Circumpolar Ambassador in spearheading and coordinating the Government's role. In addition to managing the external dimensions of circumpolar relations, the Office of the Circumpolar Ambassador should also be enabled to increase outreach activities within Canada to ensure that all interested constituencies are kept abreast of circumpolar developments and are provided with opportunities to contribute to international Arctic policy processes. To this end, existing resources within the Government should be reallocated and consolidated, and increased as necessary. Northern governments, organizations and research institutes should be consulted first about the best ways to improve information networks and communications with the Ottawa office.

Chapter 3 - Entrenching Circumpolar Internationalism: Making the Arctic Council Work

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Office of the Circumpolar Ambassador consult with northern governments and aboriginal organizations on cost-effective means to link Arctic communities with Canada's activity at the level of the Arctic Council. In addition to and independantly from the office of the Secretariat serving Nunavut through Iqaluit, other permanent liaison offices could be established in the Yukon, NWT, and Nunavik in northern Quebec with continuing responsibility for channelling regular input from all of Canada's Arctic regions into the Ottawa-based structures. Consideration should also be given to having the Council's first ministerial conference in 1998 held in a Canadian Arctic community.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that Canada, as chair of the Arctic Council Secretariat, collaborate closely with Council partners to ensure that Canadian ideas to consolidate the Council are tested multilaterally as well as domestically, and are therefore capable of attracting broad circumpolar support beyond the period of Canada's initial chairmanship.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that Canada work closely with Arctic Council counterparts to ensure that the Council's formal mandate is carried out so as to integrate environmental protection with sustainable human development goals, without thereby jeopardizing existing AEPS activities. Canada should also interpret the mandate sufficiently broadly that any important issue affecting Arctic quality of life can be brought on to its agenda, even if this entails a lengthy process of consensus-building. In particular, matters affecting human security and prospects for peaceful cooperation within the circumpolar region should not be excluded from consideration over the longer term.

Recommendation 7

The Committee recommends that, within Canada, the Office of the Circumpolar Ambassador should lead in identifying concrete applications of the Arctic Council's sustainable development mandate, in order to advance Canadian Arctic interests. Furthermore, staff of this office and of the Arctic Council Secretariat should make it a priority to meet with residents of small northern communities to explore how the Council's mandate might be implemented most effectively to respond to their concerns.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Government work to achieve inclusion, at the earliest possible date, of additional representation for Canadian aboriginal peoples' organizations based in the North, and for all northern residents through their regional governments (including that of Nunavik in Quebec) within the Arctic Council's formal structures. Interested aboriginal organizations that do not meet the current criteria for becoming permanent participants should in any event be granted early observer status. At a minimum, these groups and the subnational Arctic-region governments should be assured of some representation, in an official advisory capacity, in the development of Canada's positions on all Arctic Council matters.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Northern Forum, and the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, (which should include a representative from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade), be granted permanent observer status in the Arctic Council. As such, they should have the right to intervene in its deliberations on matters of special interest with the agreement of the Council's members and permanent participants. In addition, NGOs that have developed particular expertise in working on Arctic issues should be granted a consultative observer status with the Council.

Recommendation 10

The Committee recommends that the Arctic Council beyond the first stageof incorporation of the AEPS be encouraged to develop an overall planfor coordinating circumpolar initiatives at the intergovernmental level and consolidating them where possible for consideration by the Council's first ministerial conference in 1998. Careful attention should also be given to establishing mutually supportive subsidiary linkages between the Council and other more specialized organizations working on transboundary Arctic issues.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that Canada use the two-year period of its initial chairmanship of the Arctic Council and hosting of its secretariat to build consensus on a manageable short-term work program, starting with the commitments already agreed to by the eight Arctic states in the Inuvik AEPS declaration of March 1996 (see Chapter Five). Following up the release of the AEPS state of the environment report in 1997, the Government should work closely within Canada with aboriginal peoples and other northern residents to establish the most urgent priorities for international environmental action (for example, the issue of contaminants affecting health). Canada should put forward concrete proposals in these areas to the Council's 1998 ministerial conference.

Recommendation 12

The Committee recommends that the Government use the proposed conference on Arctic sustainable development to further the integration of environmental and economic development objectives within the Arctic Council's mandate. Canadian officials should also work closely with northern constituencies to identify priority activities related to sustainable community economic development, and especially to create opportunities for a growing aboriginal population, where international action is required (e.g. dealing with trade barriers, improving transnational communications and transport links). During the remaining period of Canada's chairmanship and beyond, Canadian energies should be focussed on encouraging the Arctic Council to deal with such issues, which are of greatest practical concern to our northern citizens.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Government review existing resources for federal circumpolar initiatives at the national, bilateral and multilateral levels in order to identify any that might more effectively be consolidated under the aegis of the Circumpolar Ambassador and through Canada's participation in the Arctic Council. Canada should also take the early lead in exploring long-term funding and administrative support for the Council's operations with other Arctic governments, as well as with aboriginal participants and observer organizations. Finally, the Arctic Council secretariat should identify potential program areas for circumpolar cooperation (for example, encouraging utilization of environmentally superior technologies, trade promotion, training and business development) where the financial participation by private-sector partners might be appropriate within the Council's overall sustainable human development mandate.

Chapter 4 - Post-Cold War Cooperation in the Arctic: From Interstate Conflict to New Agendas for Security

Recommendation 14

The Committee recommends that the Government reaffirm its claim to sovereignty over the waters of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. In view of the financial and technical difficulties associated with the Arctic Sub-surface Surveillance System, the Committee recommends that the Government review the need for such a system, and explore alternative technical and diplomatic mechanisms for advancing Canada's sovereignty position.

Recommendation 15

The Committee recommends that the Government pursue as a priority the elimination of nuclear weapons in the Arctic, as well as international agreement on the demilitarization of the region. Given that not all the Arctic states are interested in pursuing discussions of confidence-building or other regional arms control measures at the moment, the Government should also encourage and support the establishment of a "Track Two" process by which nongovernmental experts from the various states could consider such measures, and pay special attention to the integration of Russia into a broader cooperative security system for the region. The Government should raise these subjects as feasible with other Arctic states.

Recommendation 16

The Committee recommends that the Government continue the cleanup of abandonned military sites in the Canadian North and pursue an equitable sharing of costs with the United States. Given Canadian expertise in the clean-up of Arctic military sites, the Committee recommends that the Government offer to participate in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) program. The Government should also convene with the United States and Norway an environmental security cooperation conference for the militaries and environmental agencies of the Arctic region.

Recommendation 17

The Committee recommends that Canada continue to cooperate with the Russian Federation and the other Arctic states to address the serious nuclear problems in northern Russia. Despite financial constraints, Canada should also extend its cooperation to help address nuclear issues related to the Russian Northern Fleet (see Table 1, page 98).

Chapter 5 - Towards a Sustainable Development Agenda for Preserving the Arctic Environment

Recommendation 18

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada, as the first chair of the Arctic Council, restate its commitment to the continuation and strengthening of the environmental protection work of the AEPS under the Arctic Council. In addition, while the specific mechanisms may change, Canada should stress that the Tromsø Ministerial should adopt a significant plan for each of the AEPS working groups, to ensure that their work continues. Given the importance of the six years of work carried out by the AEPS, the procedural and other recommendations of the AEPS self-assessment currently being undertaken by Norway should be adopted for use by the Arctic Council.

Recommendation 19

The Committee recommends that the Government initiate a systematic review of existing global environmental agreements to see which contain provisions authorizing special supplements for dealing with the needs of individual regions and determine which of these are particularly relevant to the Arctic. Canada should also move quickly to ratify the Law of the Sea Convention, and, as recommended by the AEPS Ministers at Inuvik, the Government should encourage all Arctic states to ratify international agreements relevant to the Arctic.

Recommendation 20

The Government should increase efforts to develop common standards for Environmental Impact Assessment in the Arctic, and should ensure that the draft guidelines prepared through the AEPS are adopted for this purpose by the final AEPS Ministerial in Tromsø.

Recommendation 21

The Committee recommends that the Government renew its efforts, in cooperation with the other Arctic states, to work toward stronger international action on climate change. Given the importance of this issue to the Arctic and the need for an Arctic perspective, the Government should also appoint the Office of the Circumpolar Ambassador as a co-chair of the nongovernment Stakeholders Advisory Group, to be backed up by appropriate environmental expertise within the Circumpolar Affairs Division recommended in Chapter Two.

Recommendation 22

The Committee recommends that, in cooperation with other Arctic Council states and aboriginal permanent participants, Canada redouble efforts to conclude LRTAP protocols on POPs and heavy metals and a legally binding protocol on POPs. In the meantime, the Committee recommends that Canada and the other Arctic states continue work to identify those states that are the major sources of pollutants in the Arctic, and to encourage and assist them to phase out the contaminant chemicals of greatest concern.

Recommendation 23

The Committee supports the recommendation of the Canadian Polar Commission that the Government broaden the replacement for the Northern Contaminants Program so as to focus more clearly on the links between contaminants and human health and to provide for more effective communication of research results.

Recommendation 24

In order to better protect northern species and habitats, and build on Canadian leadership in the integration of indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge, the Committee recommends that the Government accept and implement fully the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples concerning Environmental Stewardship in the North.

Chapter 6 - Sustainable Development and Economic Opportunity for Arctic Communities

Recommendation 25

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada work closely with northern Canadians and its Arctic Council partners to build consensus on a circumpolar framework for sustainable economic development, incorporating such principles and objectives as:

Canada should take the lead by integrating these into its own international Arctic-region strategy recommended in Chapter Two. The conference on sustainable development proposed by Canada should lay out a process for negotiating this agreed framework multilaterally, as a prelude to considering the priority programs or project activities that should be undertaken on a circumpolar basis with the aim of approving a substantive joint economic initiative at the Council's first ministerial conference in 1998.

Recommendation 26

The Committee recommends that, within the framework of international sustainable development principles applied to the Arctic, Canada should support the sharing of learning about best practices in the circumpolar countries. This should contribute to the implementation of rigorous sustainability assessments prior to any approval of major resource and capital-intensive projects and, in particular, ensure that in all phases of development the rights to participate in decision-making processes, and the priorities of the affected indigenous communities, are fully respected.

The Committee recommends that Canada accord an early high priority in circumpolar cooperation to providing an enabling environment for sustainable community-based economic development, by exploring practical ways to implement established sustainability principles, and giving particular attention to the following:

Recommendation 28

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade create, within the Circumpolar Affairs Division (see Recommendation 3), a unit for circumpolar trade development with responsibilities for:

Recommendation 29

The Committee also recommends that the Government pursue negotiations with its Arctic Council partners to liberalize trade in Arctic products, and ultimately eliminate the tariff and non-tariff barriers in respect thereto.

Recommendation 30

The Committee recommends further that the proposed Circumpolar Affairs Division be given responsibility for encouraging and facilitating Canadian, especially Arctic-based, activities in circumpolar transportation, communications and technological development. A high priority should be accorded to those areas of Canadian expertise and potential strength that are environmentally protective as well as commercially sound. The Government should strive to ensure that in all cases Canadian initiatives in Arctic-region development adhere fully to applied sustainablity principles, thereby promoting circumpolar progress in this regard. To this end, the Canadian government and the Arctic Council should undertake a rigorous assessment of the risks inherent in opening northern sea lanes, in particular to tankers.

Chapter 7 - Promoting Democratic Approaches to Circumpolar Sustainable Development: Indigenous Peoples, Northern Regions, and Public-Interest Roles

Recommendation 31

The Committee recommends that the Government take steps to deepen the democratic involvement of representatives from all of Canada's northern indigenous peoples in the elaboration of policies on circumpolar sustainable development. To that end, we recommend that an aboriginal contact group be established to provide regular advice to the Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs on issues pertaining to her mandate and that of the proposed Circumpolar Affairs Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs. To promote indigenous peoples' participation in the development of international sustainable development policies for the Arctic, the Government should support expanded international linkages through existing Canadian-based aboriginal organizations, and should also pledge stable, long-term material support for the Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat within the Arctic Council.

Recommendation 32

The Committee recommends that an explicit goal of federal Government circumpolar affairs policy should be to facilitate community-based, local and regional-level contacts, in close cooperation with provincial and territorial governments and their Arctic constituencies, as well as in ongoing consultation with indigenous peoples' organizations, the private sector, and NGOs working on circumpolar sustainable development issues. A concerted effort should be made to avoid duplication of initiatives, while at the same time assisting coordination among the various Canadian actors working towards common circumpolar objectives.

Recommendation 33

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Foreign Affairs table in Parliament an annual statement by the Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs briefly outlining the Government's circumpolar sustainable development initiatives, and stating results achieved and expected. The statement should be referred to this Committee and should also be scrutinized by any other standing committee with an interest in circumpolar issues, notably those related to the environment and sustainable development and aboriginal affairs.

Recommendation 34

As a means of increasing public feedback and accountability with respect to Arctic sustainable development issues, the Committee recommends that the Government support stronger Canadian participation in the continued development of circumpolar interparliamentary channels, in particular through the important work of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region.

Chapter 8 - Supporting Scientific, Educational and Cultural Cooperation in the Arctic

Recommendation 35

The Committee recommends that the Government commit to maintain, and seek to increase, support for basic Arctic science and research as an important element of circumpolar cooperation. Given the changing realities in the Arctic, such research must be based on the needs of Arctic communities and include a significant traditional knowledge component. These principles should be stressed in the work on sustainable development and other issues carried out under the auspices of the Arctic Council.

Recommendation 36

The Committee, recognizing the continuing need for stronger representation of Arctic research interests, recommends that the Government reevaluate the future of the Canadian Polar Commission in light of the criticisms that have been made, and taking into account the role of the Circumpolar Ambassador and the organizational changes proposed in this Report. If the Commission is to continue, the Committee recommends that the Government adopt a systematic and transparent process for appointing its Commissioners that includes soliciting suggestions from northern groups, academic organizations such as the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS), and government departments involved in northern research.

Recommendation 37

Given the substantial reductions to the budget for the Polar Continental Shelf Project, the Committee recommends that the Government provide the Project with sufficient funding to carry out its mandate effectively. The Project must also ensure that it is providing support to researchers in all regions of Canada, and should enter into new and creative partnership arrangements where possible.

Recommendation 38

The Committee recommends that the Government make the rejuvenation of the IASC International Science Initiative in the Russian Arctic a priority, and support and complement this where possible through the work of the Arctic Council.

Recommendation 39

The Committee recommends that the Government increase funding for the Northern Scientific Training Program. The Committee also recommends that the Government urge the Arctic states through the Arctic Council to undertake an inventory of educational approaches in the region, and establish a program similar to that of the European Union for fostering academic cooperation in the circumpolar North.

Recommendation 40

The Committee recommends that the Government continue its support for new information technologies in the Canadian North, and ensure that the Arctic Council pursues the use of such technologies to promote cultural understanding and exchange in a circumpolar context. The Government should also ensure stable funding for such important cultural services as the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, and seek to assist it and other services in selling their programming in Arctic and other markets.

Chapter 9 - Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation with Arctic Neighbours

Recommendation 41

The Committee recommends that the Canadian Government continue its current efforts to protect the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd, particularly by assisting Canadian and Alaskan aboriginals to educate U.S. opinion on the issue. The Government should also take the necessary steps to have the entire area jointly designated as a World Heritage Site under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, if such an approach is supported in consultations with indigenous groups.

Recommendation 42

While as a matter of policy it is preferable to settle cross-border disagreements without resorting to dispute settlement panels under international trade treaties (NAFTA/WTO), the Committee recommends that, unless current strategies prove successful in a reasonable amount of time, the Government pursue the option of seeking redress through such panels in case of the discriminatory and trade-restrictive provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Recommendation 43

The Committee recommends that the Government propose to the United States the establishment of a mechanism to ensure regular meetings of officials to discuss Arctic issues, including, but not restricted to, those that are bilateral. These meetings should be undertaken on the Canadian side through the proposed Circumpolar Affairs Division and the Office of the Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs.

Recommendation 44

The Committee recommends that Canada cooperate closely with Norway on issues of sustainable utilization of renewable Arctic marine resources. Specifically, the Government should move to become a full member of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, if such a move is supported in formal consultations with northern indigenous groups.

Recommendation 45

The Committee recommends that the Government task the proposed Circumpolar Affairs Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with developing a more strategic approach to Canada's relations with the Nordic countries. In particular, emphasis should be placed on fostering cooperative alliances with the Nordic states with respect to key circumpolar issues such as sustainable development.

Recommendation 46

The Committee recommends that, in view of Russia's unique circumstances and regional diversity, as well as its importance to Canadian foreign policy, including future circumpolar cooperation, the Government explore the most practical and economical means to expand Canadian diplomatic and commercial representation, particularly with the aim of improving access to consular services for distant northern and eastern areas of the Russian Federation.

Recommendation 47

The Committee recommends that the current bilateral agreement on Arctic cooperation with Russia be extended, but within a foreign policy context that is capable of coordinating all aspects of Canada-Russia relations with an Arctic and northern dimension - including promotion of trade and investment relations as well as delivery of technical assistance - with the overall objectives of a comprehensive circumpolar foreign policy. We recommend that the Circumpolar Affairs Division, proposed to be established within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to support the work of the Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, should be given responsibility for effecting this coordination among Canadian federal Government initiatives in the Russian North, and for facilitating provincial, territorial, aboriginal and nongovernmental activities to support cooperation objectives as jointly agreed between Canada and Russia.

Recommendation 48

The Committee recommends that the shared circumpolar aims of preserving the Arctic environment and supporting sustainable human development for northern indigenous communities be made one of the principal objectives of Canada-Russia technical cooperation as carried out through CIDA's Country Programming Strategy, not added only as a "special consideration." Within such a bilateral assistance context, particular attention should be paid to the following:

Chapter 10 - Towards an Effective Multilateral Cooperation Regime for Circumpolar International Relations

Recommendation 49

The Committee recommends that the Government take advantage of the period of Canada's current chairmanship of the Arctic Council to work on the unfinished elements in building a stronger multilateral system for promoting circumpolar cooperation. In particular priority attention should be given to the following:

;