Toronto forum to look at Canada’s role as Arctic Council chair

This week, a Toronto forum on Arctic security will recommend the issues Canada should pursue as chair of the Arctic Council, a two-year term that begins in 2013.(FILE PHOTO)

What role will Canada play in the future of Arctic governance?

Many non-Arctic nations like China, India and Brazil are eyeing the rich resources of the Arctic and lining up for spots at the Arctic Council to protect their interests.

That’s an issue Canada will debate as it prepares to chair the Council in 2013.

It will also be a subject of discussion during a two-day meeting on the future of the Arctic Council Jan. 17 and 18 in Toronto, called The Arctic Council: Its Place in the Future of Arctic Governance.

The second annual Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Conference will feature dozens of Arctic leaders and academics from 15 nations.

Canada is one of eight full members of the Arctic Council, which also includes Russia, the United States, Norway, Finalnd, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark (Greenland). The 16-year-old council was originally created through a governmental forum to promote international co-operation in the North.

But many more non-Arctic countries now want “observer” status on the council, a status some nations fear would increase those countries’ influence across the Arctic.

Last spring, the council agreed to consider criteria for granting observer status to states and organizations such as China and the European Union.

Canada and Russia are the strongest opponents of expansion.

Other countries warn that if non-Arctic states are excluded from the table, they’ll take their concerns to other international bodies and diminish the council’s influence.

“The council is struggling with this question,” said Tony Penikett, former Premier of the Yukon and moderator of the Munk-Gordon conference, in a Jan. 15 news release. “The non-Arctic states’ interest is not just a fleeting fancy. For the council to remain relevant, must it give them a larger role or remain an exclusive club?”

Just last year, the council passed its first binding treaty last year on Arctic search and rescue.

Penikett says the council must consider expanding its role to become a source of legally binding decisions.

The Toronto forum will recommend the issues Canada should pursue as Council chair, a two-year term that begins in 2013.

In that role, Penikett says Canada has the potential to become an influential Arctic power, and to ensure the resource-rich but fragile region continues to respect the wishes of its inhabitants.

Another crucial question is how the council will confront the pressures that can come with oil and mineral exploration, international shipping, tourism and other developments.

But Iqaluit mayor Madeleine Redfern, who will participate in the forum, says Canada needs to go beyond protecting its Arctic regions through the purchase of jets, ships and satellites.

“Canada needs to be a leader in science, research and development, governance and innovative solutions for our region,” Redfern said in the release. “Despite our great challenges, including vast distances and climate, we also have immense opportunities in terms of resources and human potential.

“We northerners and Canadians all benefit from having strong, healthy and vibrant Arctic communities that contribute positively towards our nation’s economy and security.”

The Toronto conference is sold out, but starting Jan. 17, Internet users can live stream the conference sessions here.