Arctic and Northern Policy Framework International chapter

Goal: Canadian Arctic and Northern Indigenous peoples are resilient and healthy

Canada's international engagement will contribute to the following objectives:

• eradicate hunger
• reduce suicides
• strengthen mental and physical well-being
• create an environment in which children will thrive, through a focus on education, culture, health and well-being
• close the gaps in education outcomes
• provide ongoing learning and skills development opportunities, including Indigenous-based knowledge and skills
• strengthen Indigenous cultural and family connections across international boundaries

Peoples and communities will continue to be at the heart of Canada's international Arctic engagement. Canada will target its international engagement to advance the goal of healthy and resilient Arctic and Northern peoples, both at home and abroad. Canada's international engagement will be undertaken in an integrated and holistic manner, in recognition that physical and mental health, education, food security and economic development are all interconnected.

Goal: Strong, sustainable, diversified and inclusive local and regional economies

Canada's international engagement will contribute to the following objective:

• Enhance opportunities for trade and investment

From the development of world-class mines to globally acclaimed arts and culture to a robust tourism industry that attracts visitors from around the globe, Canada's Arctic and North has the potential to become a major exporting region and a leading destination for foreign investment. Canada will help fulfill the region's economic potential through enhanced international trade and foreign investment opportunities, which will build on the region's already strong $2.2 billion in annual exports.^{Footnote 1} Our approach to international trade and foreign investment will be guided by the Pan-Territorial Vision for Sustainable Development, which emphasizes resource development, economic diversification, infrastructure and innovation.

To date, Canada has negotiated 14 international trade agreements that provide access for Canadian exporters to 1.5 billion consumers and $9.3 trillion in combined gross domestic product. While access to international markets is vital, it is not enough to create jobs and prosperity for Arctic and Northern peoples. Canada must do a better job at helping Arctic and Northern businesses (with unique needs compared to southern businesses) actively pursue international economic opportunities that are aligned with local interests and values.

To address this gap, Canada will use its Trade Commissioner Service to better connect Arctic and Northern businesses, including Indigenous-led businesses and women entrepreneurs, with export opportunities provided by free trade agreements, increase their awareness of Canadian Trade Commissioner Service resources, and help them attract and retain foreign direct investment that increases Canada's competitiveness and safeguards our national security. In addition, through programs such as the National Trade Corridors Fund, Canada will also prioritize investments that strengthen the efficiency, resilience and safety of Arctic and Northern transportation infrastructure and support international trade to and from Canada's Arctic and North.

In line with its Trade Diversification Strategy, Canada is advancing an inclusive approach to trade that ensures all segments of society, including under-represented groups, can take advantage of the opportunities that flow from trade and investment. The approach includes engaging in ongoing dialogue with a wide range of Indigenous partners, so that the Arctic and Indigenous perspectives are reflected in Canada's trade agreements. For example, in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, Canada successfully incorporated a general exception that confirms Canada can adopt or maintain measures it deems necessary to fulfill its legal obligations to Indigenous peoples. Other provisions recognize the role and priorities of Indigenous peoples in chapters including environment, investment, textiles and apparel goods, seeking to move toward a more equitable approach for Indigenous peoples in their access to, and ability to benefit from, trade and investment.

Canada will work with Indigenous peoples to engage internationally in support of traditional livelihoods including hunting, fishing and the arts. Specifically, we will support and promote international trade and market access for Indigenous harvested and produced goods, which are too often the targets of unfair trade barriers and animal rights campaigns. We will continue to work closely with Indigenous peoples to ensure that Indigenous and commercial harvesting of Arctic wildlife in Canada is sustainable and effectively managed, and that resources are conserved for future generations.

Canada will support circumpolar business-to-business activities through the Arctic Economic Council (AEC), a product of Canadian leadership and diplomacy. The AEC aims to facilitate responsible business and economic development of the Arctic and its communities by sharing and advocating for best practices, technological solutions and standards. We will enhance Canadian representation and contributions to the work of the AEC to ensure Canadian interests are well represented in its work.

Goal: Knowledge and understanding guides decision making

Canada's international engagement will contribute to the following objective:

• Increasing international polar science and research collaboration with full inclusion of Indigenous knowledge

International cooperation can help us eliminate gaps in our knowledge of the Arctic and North, particularly given the complexities, interconnectedness and costs related to polar science and research. Canada is well placed to play a central role, given our world-class monitoring and research infrastructure assets and our international reputation for high-quality Arctic knowledge and research.

We will achieve our objective of increasing international polar science and research collaboration by providing support for Canadian researchers, including Indigenous knowledge holders conducting international science and research collaboration projects in the circumpolar Arctic. We will complete a review of Canada's international science, technology and innovation agreements to identify opportunities for incorporating Arctic components. We will also strengthen our participation in relevant international scientific and technical bodies, including the working groups of the Arctic Council, Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks, International Arctic Science Committee, Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure and Open Geospatial Consortium.

Canada will prioritize implementing the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation, which seeks to enhance circumpolar cooperation that advances our knowledge of the Arctic. We will promote research that values early and sustained collaboration with Arctic peoples and Northerners, and incorporates Indigenous knowledge alongside science in research efforts. We will also improve the international sharing of scientific data and facilitate the movement of recognized international researchers and equipment within our boundaries. In particular, international scientists will be welcomed to our cutting-edge labs and facilities, including the new Canadian High Arctic Research Station campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. We will also ensure that international researchers are informed and respectful of existing laws, regulations, permitting schemes and the expectations of the region or community they seek to operate in.

While there is growing appreciation of how Indigenous knowledge improves our understanding of the Arctic and North, barriers remain to its equitable and respectful inclusion within international forums. Given our experience in incorporating Indigenous knowledge in domestic decision making, Canada will champion the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in international forums that make decisions affecting the Arctic. Alongside Indigenous representatives from Canada, we will seek international support for the terminology of Indigenous knowledge and we will advocate for meaningful and respectful partnerships between Arctic researchers and Indigenous knowledge holders in producing new knowledge.

Goal: Canadian Arctic and Northern ecosystems are healthy and resilient

Canada's international engagement will contribute to the following objectives:

• accelerate and intensify national and international reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and short-lived climate pollutants
• ensure conservation, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems and species
• support sustainable use of species by Indigenous peoples
• partner with territories, provinces and Indigenous peoples to recognize, manage and conserve culturally and environmentally significant areas
• facilitate greater understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation options through monitoring and research, including Indigenous-led and community-based approaches
• enhance support for climate adaptation and resilience efforts
• enhance understanding of the vulnerabilities of ecosystems and biodiversity and the effects of environmental change
• ensure safe and environmentally-responsible shipping
• strengthen pollution prevention and mitigation regionally, nationally and internationally

The circumpolar Arctic is warming two to three times more rapidly than the global mean, even though the region is not a leading source of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Canada is taking ambitious action at home to reduce GHG emissions and drive clean growth, but these actions alone will not be enough to avert the climate change impacts already being experienced in the region. In order to slow the rate of climate change, Canada must work with countries around the world, especially major emitters, to accelerate and intensify international reductions of GHG emissions and short-lived climate pollutants.

To achieve this objective, Canada supports early, ambitious and full domestic and international implementation of the Paris Agreement, including the goal of holding the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Recent studies indicate that strong and immediate global action on both carbon dioxide and short-lived climate pollutants is needed to meet these temperature goals. We will support and enhance international efforts through the Arctic Council, UN bodies and other forums to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, especially black carbon, which has a disproportionate impact on the Arctic. We will facilitate and support the enhancement of Indigenous peoples' international action on climate change issues under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including by advancing the implementation of its Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, supporting the establishment of the Indigenous Peoples Focal Point and seeking opportunities to enhance the meaningful involvement of Arctic and Northern Indigenous youth. Finally, we will champion a number of circumpolar initiatives that support the development and deployment of green energy in Arctic and Northern communities, including initiatives related to exchanging knowledge and expertise on renewable and alternative energy technologies.

Canada will also prioritize international cooperation to strengthen the climate resiliency of Arctic and Northern peoples, taking into consideration that women and men sometimes experience certain effects of climate change differently. Arctic and Northern communities, including Indigenous peoples, are among the most exposed to the impacts of climate change, which affects infrastructure, sources of food and water, and physical and mental health. Canada will contribute to the development of tools and scientific assessments on climate change through the Arctic Council, the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, where we are committed to strengthening the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. We will also exchange knowledge and best practices on climate change adaptation through the Arctic Council and other forums, with the goal of increasing local and Indigenous capacity to understand and respond to the impacts of climate change. Canada's space assets (e.g. satellites and associated infrastructure) and Earth observation data will support informed environmental and regulatory decisions and enhance knowledge of changing permafrost, ice, snow, glaciers and ecosystems.

Given our extensive Arctic coastline, Canada will champion regional and international cooperation to protect the Arctic marine environment that is evidence-based and respectful of sub-national and Indigenous interests. The Arctic marine environment is undergoing profound changes from climate change, including acidification and sea ice melt, which are negatively affecting marine biodiversity and the local and Indigenous communities who rely on these waters as a travel corridor and source of food and income. We will encourage the timely ratification and implementation of the International Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean and are committed to actively contributing to the joint program of scientific research and monitoring, under which Arctic fisheries-related research and monitoring are expected to increase.

Canada will cooperate with neighbouring and other states on sustainable marine spatial management of shared ocean areas, including through the establishment of evidence-based marine protected areas. We will work internationally to conserve and protect marine areas of ecological, biological and cultural significance, which may be transboundary or extend beyond Canadian waters. In particular, Canada will partner with Inuit communities and organizations, the governments of Nunavut, Greenland and Denmark and the Inuit Circumpolar Council to expeditiously implement measures in response to the recommendations of the Pikialasorsuaq Commission. We will take an active role in supporting the development of a pan-Arctic network of marine protected areas at the Arctic Council and we will continue to partner with Indigenous peoples to recognize and manage culturally and environmentally significant areas and pursue additional conservation measures, including those led through Indigenous management authorities.

Shipping through Arctic waters is expected to increase, presenting risks to the fragile Arctic marine environment if not managed carefully. International cooperation is therefore essential for managing these risks while protecting competitiveness, given the global nature of shipping. The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, adopted in 2015 and known as the Polar Code, sets out international safety and pollution prevention regulations. Canada will continue to explore opportunities for the international community to address other safety and separate environmental issues not currently captured by the Polar Code, including its potential application to other types of ships, as well as issues such as underwater noise and grey water. We will support international efforts to mitigate the risks posed by heavy fuel oil. We will also lead efforts at the Arctic Council and other forums to support the environmental and cultural goals of low-impact shipping corridors, recognizing that safe and efficient marine transportation is key to economic development and to unlocking commercial opportunities in Canada's Arctic and North.

Canada will continue to actively engage in international cooperation to reduce releasing contaminants that may have harmful impacts on human health, especially on Indigenous women and children, wildlife and the environment. While most of these contaminants originate elsewhere, they are found throughout the Arctic and include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, chemicals of emerging concern, hazardous waste and other types of waste such as marine litter and microplastics. Canada will build on the successful history of international cooperation through the Arctic Council, UN organizations and other forums to ensure that existing multilateral agreements on POPs and mercury are implemented, new pollution is prevented and the effectiveness of these agreements is monitored. We will also work to extend the endorsement of the Ocean Plastics Charter to other countries and encourage further action from Arctic states on marine litter, including plastics and microplastics.

Canada will ensure international cooperation is in place to effectively conserve Arctic biodiversity. We will ensure existing international agreements are implemented, honoured and remain effective in conserving Arctic biodiversity. In particular, we will prioritize cooperation with the United States to ensure the protection and long-term survival of the Porcupine caribou, a species that is vital to Gwich'in culture and livelihood. We will maintain an active and constructive role in efforts related to a new UN agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. We will also ensure continued Indigenous representation in binational management boards, such as the Yukon River Panel and Porcupine Caribou Management Board.

At the same time, Canada will advocate against international efforts that are not supported by science or Indigenous knowledge that seek to prohibit the sustainable use of Arctic wildlife. We will continue to ensure that Indigenous and commercial harvesting of Arctic wildlife in Canada is sustainable and effectively managed, and the resources are conserved for future generations.

Goal: Reconciliation supports self-determination and nurtures mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples

Canada's international engagement will contribute to the following objective:

• reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen the cultures of Arctic and Northern Indigenous peoples, including their languages and knowledge systems

Canada will use its international engagement to preserve and promote Arctic and Northern Indigenous languages, many of which transcend national boundaries. Indigenous languages are essential for the preservation of Indigenous culture and the well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. Due to globalization and past government policy, the survival of Indigenous languages across the circumpolar region is under increasing threat. We will work with our Arctic partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and best practices related to Indigenous language assessment, monitoring and revitalization.

Canada will promote its globally renowned Arctic and Northern arts and culture sector. Arts and culture have served as important forms of self-expression that have enhanced mental and spiritual well-being and are important sources of economic income for Indigenous peoples. We will encourage and enable collaboration between Arctic and Northern Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, creators and cultural agencies across the circumpolar region. We will also enhance international marketing and promotion of artists from Canada's Arctic and North.