Overview

The Arctic is central to Canada’s national identity, prosperity, security, values, and interests. The Canadian Arctic covers 40% of Canada’s territory and is home to more than 200,000 inhabitants, more than half of whom are Indigenous. Canada is one of the states most affected by what is happening in the Arctic Region. The Canadian government is emphasizing the cooperative motif of their contemporary Arctic policy. As evidence, one can look at their cooperative relationship with the Arctic-abutting states. In addition, it supports related international and Arctic Circle institutions through generous investments, since it doesn‘t have its research station.

Canada is committed to addressing: - The causes and impacts of climate change; - Renewing the nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples; - Supporting sustainable Northern economic development; - Promoting Canada as a leader in Arctic science and research; and - Working with domestic and international partners to reach Canada’s goals in the region.

Canada released the Arctic and Northern Policy framework in it sets out priority areas for Canada’s international Arctic engagement including strengthening the rules-based international order; to increase engagement with the Arctic and non-Arctic states, and more clearly define Canada’s Arctic boundaries.

Actors

• Minister of Foreign Affairs;

• Inuit Development Corporation Association (IDCA): an association of corporations that fight for the involvement of indigenous groups in businesses in changing times;

Overview

European Union’s Arctic policy endeavors are still under development. EU policy in the Arctic focuses on advancing international cooperation in responding to the impacts of climate change on the Arctic’s fragile environment, and on promoting and contributing to sustainable development, particularly in the European part of the Arctic policy. The EU already contributes substantially to Arctic research, satellite observation, and regional development as well to the work of the Arctic Council.

Consultations by the Commission and the European External Action Service suggest that the European Arctic is suffering from underinvestment. Recognizing the need to work closely with national, regional, and local authorities in the European Arctic, the Commission will set up a European Arctic stakeholder forum with the aim of enhancing collaboration and coordination between different EU funding programmes.

Actors

• President of the EU Taskforce

• Greenpeace

Overview

The Arctic region hosts a high number of indigenous peoples with diverse backgrounds: the Inuit of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland; Aleut; North-American Natives (Athabascans, Gwitch’n, Métis); numerous groups in Russia (e.g., Chukchi, Eveny, Evenki, and Nenets). Out of a total of 4 million inhabitants of the Arctic, approximately 500,000 belong to Indigenous Peoples. Six Indigenous Peoples’ organizations have been granted Permanent Participants status in the Arctic Council.

The indigenous communities rely heavily on traditional ways of food gathering, such as mammal hunting and fishing, which can easily be disturbed and even eliminated by hydrocarbon exploitation in sensitive Arctic ecosystems. Paradoxically, while the government sites environmental concerns, indigenous peoples are calling for economic development without (unnecessary) impediments. Most of the local communities demand a balance between Arctic resource exploitation and people’s needs, i.e., to pursue sustainable Arctic development.

Actors

• Director and Vice-Director of the Indigenous People‘s Association

Overview

The five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—share deep historical, linguistic, and cultural ties and many political and economic similarities. In this simulation, the Nordic States have allied dealing with the Arctic Region. Instead of acting individually, the Nordic States have formed their bloc. Even if their interests slightly diverge, the overall direction and need to engage in the Arctic surpasses any differences.

The Nordic states generally share an international outlook that prioritizes cooperation, both among themselves and with the international community. The Arctic region is a key focus of Nordic foreign policies. All of the Nordics are members of the eight-country Arctic Council (along with Russia, Canada, and the United States) and have long supported peaceful cooperation in the Arctic. The Nordic countries are troubled by the environmental and geostrategic implications of climate change in the Arctic.

As a priority, the Nordic countries want to deepen trans-Atlantic defense collaboration with the United States in the High North, to co-operate to improve the quality of life for the indigenous people, and to push for the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the region.

Actors

• Foreign Representative of the ‘Alliance’ of the Nordic States

• Coalition for Oil and Gas in the Arctic

Overview

The People‘s Republic of China (PRC) has an extensive interest in the Arctic, as it could serve as the newest addition to its influences. It introduced the Polar Silk Road, a component of its global Belt and Road Initiative, as a framework to collaborate with other parties to jointly develop Arctic shipping routes. PRC calls itself a ‘nearly Arctic state’, as a strategy to create a broader justification for its efforts in the region.

Unlike other stakeholders that focus on building a raw force in the region, PRC is using the ‘money diplomacy’, making massive investments in places such as Svalbard, Norway, Greenland, and Iceland.

PRC’s influence is not limited to throwing money at the region. It currently operates six nuclear-powered attack submarines, four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and fifty diesel attack submarines, with more under construction. PRC maintains research stations in Iceland and Norway and operates two icebreaking research vessels. In 2017, the Ukrainian-built Xue Long became China’s first official vessel to traverse the Northwest Passage.

Actors

• Foreign Minister of the People‘s Republic of China

• COSCO- Specialized Carriers Company: Specialized Carriers Company, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Group, the world’s third-largest shipping company, began sending ships along Russia’s Northern Sea Route in 2013. The Yong Sheng became the first Chinese vessel to transit along the route. In the following years, the company increased its activity, conducting two transits in 2015, six in 2016, five in 2017, and eight in 2018.

Overview

The USA has developed the “Regaining Arctic Dominance” strategy, outlining how it will pursue the Defence Department’s goal of defending US interests in that increasingly accessible region. The US feels left behind, with its competitors already making strong moves in the region: ‘The Army plans to use its forces in the region “to project power from, within, and into the Arctic to conduct and sustain extended operations in competition, crisis, and conflict from a position of advantage,” according to the strategy’. The US wants to establish a Multidomain Task Force (MDTF) unit in Alaska, including a division headquarters with “specially trained and equipped combat brigades to recapture our cold-weather dominance,” the document stated.

Within the U.S. military, the Department of the Air Force has the largest presence in the Arctic region, with assets in both Alaska and Greenland. As the environment changes in the Arctic, new routes for transportation have opened up and new resources are being discovered.

As long-time Arctic occupants increase their activity there, and newcomers begin staking claims as well, the Department of the Air Force has developed, as part of its Arctic strategy, four strategic priorities to guide its involvement in ensuring the United States is equally and fairly represented in the region.

• the department is increasing vigilance for both deterrence and defence in all domains. • a focus on projecting power through a combat-credible force. • the Department of the Air Force will continue to focus on cooperation with existing allies and partners and on building new partnerships — a goal aligned with the National Defense Strategy.

Actors

• U.S. Secretary of State.

• The Arctic Slope Regional Corp. (ASRC): The little-known ASRC has had an outsized role in opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling throughout the history of this fight. The ASRC’s ownership of subsurface rights in the coastal plain has made the corporation one of the most vocal proponents and consistent lobbyists for opening the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas drilling over the last 30 years. Its lobbying investments spiked after Donald Trump assumed the presidency in 2017; with a Republican Congress and president, drilling proponents once again saw an opportunity to open the refuge to drilling.

Overview

The Russian Federation (RF) is one of the main stakeholders in the Arctic. RF’s involvement in the Arctic and interest in the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is tied to its interests: due to its geographic position, it is interested in developing alternative shipping routes, as well as exploiting the region’s oil and natural gas. Up to 70 percent of its reserves are on the continental shelf off its coast (primarily in the Arctic) and its status as the world’s largest supplier of oil and natural gas makes it a leading player in exploiting further reserves in international waters. Lately, the RF has been amassing military presence in the Arctic and has been testing its weapons.

Its military presence in the Arctic seeks to achieve three objectives:

• Enhance homeland defence, specifically a forward line of defence against foreign incursion as the Arctic attracts increased international investment; • Secure Russia’s economic future; and • Create a staging ground to project power, primarily in the North Atlantic.

RF’s military capabilities in the Arctic embodies aerial and maritime early warning and defence, highlighted by the reopening of 50 previously closed Soviet-era military posts. This includes the refurbishment of 13 air bases, 10 radar stations, 20 border outposts, and 10 integrated emergency rescue stations. Russian special forces units are also part of an Arctic Brigade and have deployed to the region for exercises and training. Complementing the Northern Fleet is the world’s largest nuclear and non-nuclear icebreaker fleet, numbering more than 40 ships.

Actors

• Minister of Foreign Affairs;

• Rosoboronexport : Russia’s only state-controlled intermediary in the area of exports and imports of the entire range of military and double-purpose products, technologies, and services. The Company is actively involved in pursuing the national policy of the Russian Federation in the area of military-technical cooperation with foreign countries. The Company offers to foreign customers weaponry and military vehicles, machinery and equipment for the army, air force and navy, air defence facilities, special purpose supplies, as well as spare parts, materiel, tools, auxiliary and training equipment.