Sec. 285. Arctic diplomacy
1,074 words·~5 min read·
/bill/117/hr/3524/rh/section-285·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the rapidly changing Arctic environment— creates new national and regional security challenges due to increased military activity in the Arctic; heightens the risk of the Arctic emerging as a major theater of conflict in ongoing strategic competition; threatens maritime safety as Arctic littoral countries have inadequate capacity to patrol the increased vessel traffic in this remote region, which is a result of diminished annual levels of sea ice; impacts public safety due to increased human activity in the Arctic region where search and rescue capacity remains very limited; and threatens the health of the Arctic’s fragile and pristine environment and the unique and highly sensitive species found in the Arctic’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems; and the United States should reduce the consequences described in paragraph
(1)by— evaluating the wide variety and dynamic set of security and safety risks developing in the Arctic; developing policies and making preparations to mitigate and respond to threats and risks in the Arctic, including by continuing to work with allies and partners in the Arctic region to deter potential aggressive activities and build Arctic competencies; adequately funding the National Earth System Prediction Capability to substantively improve weather, ocean, and ice predictions on the time scales necessary to ensure regional security and trans-Arctic shipping; investing in resources, including a significantly expanded icebreaker fleet, to ensure that the United States has adequate capacity to prevent and respond to security threats in the Arctic region; and pursuing diplomatic engagements with all states in the Arctic region to reach an agreement for— maintaining peace and stability in the Arctic region; fostering cooperation on stewardship and safety initiatives in the Arctic region; ensuring safe and efficient management of commercial maritime traffic in the Arctic; promoting responsible natural resource management and economic development; and countering China's Polar Silk Road initiative; examining the possibility of reconvening the Arctic Chiefs of Defense Forum; and reducing black carbon and methane emissions in the Arctic Region, including by working with observers of the Arctic Council, including India and the People’s Republic of China, to adopt mitigation plans consistent with the findings and recommendations of the Arctic Council’s Framework for Action on Black Carbon and Methane. It is the policy of the United States— to recognize only the states specified in subsection (c)(1) as Arctic states, and to reject all other claims to such status; and that the militarization of the Arctic poses a serious threat to Arctic peace and stability, and the interests of United States allies and partners. In this section: The term Arctic states means Russia, Canada, the United States, Norway, Denmark (including Greenland), Finland, Sweden, and Iceland. The term Arctic Region means the geographic region north of the 66.56083 parallel latitude north of the equator. There is established within the Department of State an Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs (referred to in this section as the Ambassador ), appointed in accordance with paragraph (1). The Ambassador shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary of State, the Ambassador is authorized to represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to the Arctic Region in— contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, the Arctic Council, and other international organizations of which the United States is a member; and multilateral conferences and meetings relating to Arctic affairs. The Ambassador shall serve as the Chair of the Arctic Council when the United States holds the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. The Ambassador shall coordinate United States policies related to the Arctic Region, including— meeting national security, economic, and commercial needs pertaining to Arctic affairs; protecting the Arctic environment and conserving its biological resources; promoting environmentally sustainable natural resource management and economic development; strengthening institutions for cooperation among the Arctic states; involving Arctic indigenous people in decisions that affect them; enhancing scientific monitoring and research on local, regional, and global environmental issues; integrating scientific data on the current and projected effects of climate change in the Arctic Region and ensure that such data is applied to the development of security strategies for the Arctic Region; making available the methods and approaches on the integration of climate science to other regional security planning programs in the Department of State to better ensure that broader decision-making processes may more adequately account for the effects of climate change; and reducing black carbon and methane emissions in the Arctic Region. The Ambassador shall develop a policy, to be known as the Arctic Region Security Policy , to assess, develop, budget for, and implement plans, policies, and actions— to bolster the diplomatic presence of the United States in Arctic states, including through enhancements to diplomatic missions and facilities, participation in regional and bilateral dialogues related to Arctic security, and coordination of United States initiatives and assistance programs across agencies to protect the national security of the United States and its allies and partners; to enhance the resilience capacities of Arctic states to the effects of environmental change and increased civilian and military activity by Arctic states and other states that may result from increased accessibility of the Arctic Region; to assess specific added risks to the Arctic Region and Arctic states that— are vulnerable to the changing Arctic environment; and are strategically significant to the United States; to coordinate the integration of environmental change and national security risk and vulnerability assessments into the decision making process on foreign assistance awards with Greenland; to advance principles of good governance by encouraging and cooperating with Arctic states on collaborative approaches— to responsibly manage natural resources in the Arctic Region; to share the burden of ensuring maritime safety in the Arctic Region; to prevent the escalation of security tensions by mitigating against the militarization of the Arctic Region; to develop mutually agreed upon multilateral policies among Arctic states on the management of maritime transit routes through the Arctic Region and work cooperatively on the transit policies for access to and transit in the Arctic Region by non-Arctic states; and to facilitate the development of Arctic Region Security Action Plans to ensure stability and public safety in disaster situations in a humane and responsible fashion; to evaluate the vulnerability, security, survivability, and resiliency of United States interests and non-defense assets in the Arctic Region; and to reduce black carbon and methane emissions in the Arctic.