Sec. 285. Arctic diplomacy
1,169 words·~5 min read·
/bill/117/s/1169/rs/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 nations 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 outlined in paragraph
(1)by— carefully evaluating the wide variety and dynamic set of security and safety risks unfolding 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; pursuing diplomatic engagements with all nations in the Arctic region for— maintaining peace and stability in the Arctic region; and fostering cooperation on stewardship and safety initiatives in the Arctic region; and examining the possibility of reconvening the Arctic Chiefs of Defense Forum. It is the policy of the United States— to recognize only the nations enumerated in subsection (c)(1) as Arctic nations, and to reject all other claims to this 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 nations means the 8 nations with territory or exclusive economic zones that extend north of the 66.56083 parallel latitude north of the equator, namely 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. The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
(OES)shall designate a deputy assistant secretary serving within the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arctic Affairs , who shall be responsible for OES affairs in the Arctic Region. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arctic Affairs shall— facilitate the development and coordination of United States foreign policy in the Arctic Region relating to— strengthening institutions for cooperation among the Arctic nations; enhancing scientific monitoring and research on local, regional, and global environmental issues; protecting the Arctic environment and conserving its biological resources; promoting responsible natural resource management and economic development; and involving Arctic indigenous people in decisions that affect them. coordinate the diplomatic objectives with respect to the activities described in paragraph (1), and, as appropriate, represent the United States within multilateral fora that address international cooperation and foreign policy matters in the Arctic Region; help inform, in coordination with the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, transnational commerce and commercial maritime transit in the Arctic Region; coordinate the integration of scientific data on the current and projected effects of emerging environmental changes on the Arctic Region and ensure that such data is applied to the development of security strategies for the Arctic Region; make available the methods and approaches on the integration of climate, data, and environmental science to 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; assist with the development of, and facilitate the implementation of, an Arctic Region Security Policy in accordance with subsection (f); use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to encourage other countries and international multilateral organizations to support the principles of the Arctic Region Security Policy implemented pursuant to subsection (f); and perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs shall prescribe. The Secretary of State may change the title of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arctic Affairs designated under subsection
(c)to Special Representative or Special Envoy with the rank of Ambassador if— the President nominates the person so designated to that rank and status; and the Senate confirms such person to such rank and status. The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs shall be the lead bureau for developing and implementing the United States’ Arctic Region Security Policy, in coordination with the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, embassies, other regional bureaus, and relevant offices to advance United States national security interests, including through conflict prevention efforts, security assistance, humanitarian disaster response and prevention, and economic and other relevant assistance programs. The Arctic Region Security Policy shall assess, develop, budget for, and implement plans, policies, and actions— to bolster the diplomatic presence of the United States in Arctic nations, 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 nations to the effects of environmental change and increased civilian and military activity from Arctic nations and other nations that may result from increased accessibility of the Arctic Region; to assess specific added risks to the Arctic Region and Arctic nations 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 to Arctic nations; to advance principles of good governance by encouraging and cooperating with Arctic nations 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 nations 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 nations; 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; and to evaluate the vulnerability, security, survivability, and resiliency of United States interests and nondefense assets in the Arctic Region.