When the Arctic Council came into being with the signing of the Ottawa Declaration on Sept. 19, 1996, its survival was far from a foregone conclusion. Now, after 20 years in operation, the time has come for reflection. Founded as a consensus-based forum for cooperation, coordination, and interaction between Arctic states and, significantly, with the

By Adam Lajeunesse Earlier this spring, the Chinese government turned heads in Canada by publishing a lengthy guidebook to shipping through the Northwest Passage. Entitled Arctic Navigation Guide (Northwest Passage), the work was produced by China’s Maritime Safety Administration to assist the Chinese shipping companies that, it was assumed, would soon be using the northern

By Paul Shenher  I made my first trip to the Arctic in March and the sky stopped me in my tracks each day of the trip. The dawn and dusk lasted for hours, and the clouds and open sky were lit with massive sheets of blue, magenta, purple, and gray. When it snowed after sunset,

“People of the North” is a series of interviews created in partnership with Arctic in Context and Kesserwan Arteau, a legal and consulting firm that works with indigenous communities. Every six weeks, Kesserwan Arteau founders, Jean François Arteau and Karina Kesserwan will publish an interview with leaders, innovators, and community members in an effort to

In April 2016, Arctic experts and practitioners representing academia, indigenous organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and government gathered at The Wilson Center in Washington, DC. At the midpoint of the two-year U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship, this two-day symposium was co-hosted by the World Policy Institute, Trent University, and the University of Washington. On Sept. 19, 2016,

From April 27-28, 2016, the World Policy Institute in collaboration with the University of Washington and Trent University co-hosted the One Arctic symposium at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. The symposium was the first to examine the theme of the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council: “One Arctic: Shared Opportunities, Challenges and Responsibilities.” During

This article was originally published in The Arctic Journal. By Kevin McGwin NATO leaders are aware of the potential for conflict with Russia in the North. For now, though, other theaters worry them more. Try to start a conversation about security issues in the Arctic these days and you are just as likely as not

Introduced by Erica Dingman Twenty years since the signing of the Ottawa Declaration, formally launching the Arctic Council, the U.S. has reached the mid-point of its second rotation as chair of the Arctic Council. Momentous as the founding of the Arctic Council was at the time, after years of hard negotiations the event received little

By Joshua Glasser and Cody Chipp Raging wildfires. Large-scale die-offs of birds and marine mammals.  Invasions by disease-bearing ticks. Houses and water pipes collapsing as permafrost thaws. These occurrences are no longer future scenarios—they have become the daily experience of many people living in the Arctic, which is the fastest-warming region of the world. These

By Jean-François Arteau and Karina Kesserwan Where is that Arctic—the images of which capture and fascinate your imagination in turn? Is it cold temperatures, Northern Lights, the midnight sun, icebergs, majestic animals, or resilient people? For many, the answer that first comes to mind is simply: “It’s very far away!” It is no accident that