DECEMBER 2014
POLICY BRIEF
Arctic 2015 and Beyond
A Strategy for U.S. Leadership in the High North
By Elizabeth Rosenberg, Dr. David Titley and Alexander Wiker
S
trong U.S. Arctic policy and leadership are
increasingly fundamental to the United
States’ strategic and economic interests. Such
leadership and focus in this area will be essential
to underpinning U.S. initiatives on Arctic matters
in multilateral forums, such as the Arctic Council
(AC).
1
If the United States wants to realize broad national
interests in this region, particularly in an era of
tense relations with Russia (the current pre-emi-
nent power in the High North), it must prioritize
greater resource commitments and attention to
the region. e United States must accelerate its
rate of investment in Arctic infrastructure, opera-
tions and legal and regulatory capacities to be able
to set the terms for the coming era of expanded
Arctic activity. e United States must also imple-
ment binding international agreements on such
matters as search and rescue, oil spill response
and polar shipping codes, among others, to attract
opportunity, manage risk and help establish a
solid framework for international engagement in
this region in the years to come.
Rapid and unprecedented climactic shis in the
Arctic’s environmental, economic, social and
geopolitical landscapes
2
are signaling the dawn-
ing of a new era of focus on the region. e Arctic
is poised to leave its backwater legacy behind and
become a prominent player on the world’s stage.
Forecasting the exact moment of this transi-
tion, as with most predictions about the future,
is nearly impossible.
3
However, failure of cur-
rent policymakers to recognize and anticipate the
approaching Arctic epoch will leave the United
States playing a game of strategic and economic
catch-up or worse, while other nations solidify
their own interests and claims in the region.
e AC remains unquestionably the world’s
foremost venue for intergovernmental Arctic
engagement.
4
One metric of the AC’s importance
on the world stage is the doubling in the number
of countries applying for observer status, now held
by 12 nations.
5
Starting in April 2015,
6
the United
States has a rare chance to showcase its inter-
national credibility as an Arctic leader. At that
time, the United States will assume a two-year
chairmanship of the AC, a situation that will not
recur until 2031. e United States has but a brief
window of opportunity to assume responsibility
for shaping international policies to advance U.S.
national interests tied to far northern resources
and territorial management, and improve the live-
lihoods of Arctic peoples.
