Canada, the United States, and Emerging Security Challenges in the Arctic

Slater Family Canada-US Policy Series

Examining specific security issues through a Canada-US lens to identify practical ways to respond and strengthen Arctic security.

Monday, June 12, 2023 | 8:45 a.m. - 4:30 pm | Sofitel Montreal

REGISTER HERE | Watch the livestream

The Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University and the Wilson Center in Washington have established a strategic partnership to enrich the study of the Canada-US relationship. Through conferences, expert visits, joint scholarship, and other initiatives, the partnership seeks to deepen understanding of key issues in the relationship. To begin this collaboration, the Max Bell School, in conjunction with the Wilson Center's Polar and Canada Institutes, is organizing a conference titled "Canada, the United States, and Emerging Security Challenges in the Arctic". The conference, which will include both practitioners and academics, will aim at identifying practical ways that Canada and the United States can cooperate in meeting such challenges as climate change and renewed geo-strategic competition in the region.

This conference is the inaugural event of the Slater Family Canada-US Policy Series established in 2022.

AGENDA

Panel 1: The Emerging Threat Environment

What is the current threat environment in the Arctic region, and how can Canada and the United States jointly respond, especially in the realm of geo-strategic competition?

Panel 2: Issues of Public Safety 

What are the major transnational threats in the region, and how can Canada and the United States collaborate to strengthen maritime security and disaster response, as well as responsibly develop oil, gas, and critical minerals resources?

Lunchtime Keynote Speaker 

David Balton, Executive Director of the U.S. Arctic Executive Steering Committee

Panel 3: International Cooperation

What other actors have a security role to play in the Arctic, and how can Canada and the United States work with them, including the Nordic Five states, the Arctic Council and NATO?

Panel 4: Socio-Economic Development

What broader economic and social developments need to be pursued in the Arctic region to help safeguard security, and how can Canada and the United States work together in such areas as technology, infrastructure, and energy?

Closing Session

What priority lessons can be learned from the day’s deliberations to help improve Canada-US security collaboration in the Arctic? Conference co-chairs Vincent Rigby and Chris Sands will summarize the day’s discussions and identify the top priorities for greater Canada-US security cooperation over the next decade.