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Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress
contributions. The United States is nevertheless open to updating the structure of the
Council, including consolidation of, or making operational changes to, its subsidiary
bodies, to the extent such changes can clearly improve the Council's work and are
consistent with the general mandate of the Council.
3. The geopolitical circumstances of the Arctic region differ sufficiently from those of the
Antarctic region such that an "Arctic Treaty" of broad scope-along the lines of the
Antarctic Treaty-is not appropriate or necessary.
4. The Senate should act favorably on U.S. accession to the U.N. Convention on the Law
of the Sea promptly, to protect and advance U.S. interests, including with respect to the
Arctic. Joining will serve the national security interests of the United States, including the
maritime mobility of our Armed Forces worldwide. It will secure U.S. sovereign rights
over extensive marine areas, including the valuable natural resources they contain.
Accession will promote U.S. interests in the environmental health of the oceans. And it
will give the United States a seat at the table when the rights that are vital to our interests
are debated and interpreted.
5. Implementation: In carrying out this policy as it relates to international governance, the
Secretary of State, in coordination with heads of other relevant executive departments and
agencies, shall:
a. Continue to cooperate with other countries on Arctic issues through the United Nations
(U.N.) and its specialized agencies, as well as through treaties such as the U.N. Framework
Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air
Pollution and its protocols, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer;
b. Consider, as appropriate, new or enhanced international arrangements for the Arctic to
address issues likely to arise from expected increases in human activity in that region,
including shipping, local development and subsistence, exploitation of living marine
resources, development of energy and other resources, and tourism;
c. Review Arctic Council policy recommendations developed within the ambit of the
Council's scientific reviews and ensure the policy recommendations are subject to review
by Arctic governments; and
d. Continue to seek advice and consent of the United States Senate to accede to the 1982
Law of the Sea Convention.
D. Extended Continental Shelf and Boundary Issues
1. Defining with certainty the area of the Arctic seabed and subsoil in which the United
States may exercise its sovereign rights over natural resources such as oil, natural gas,
methane hydrates, minerals, and living marine species is critical to our national interests in
energy security, resource management, and environmental protection. The most effective
way to achieve international recognition and legal certainty for our extended continental
shelf is through the procedure available to States Parties to the U.N. Convention on the
Law of the Sea.
2. The United States and Canada have an unresolved boundary in the Beaufort Sea. United
States policy recognizes a boundary in this area based on equidistance. The United States
recognizes that the boundary area may contain oil, natural gas, and other resources.
3. The United States and Russia are abiding by the terms of a maritime boundary treaty
concluded in 1990, pending its entry into force. The United States is prepared to enter the
agreement into force once ratified by the Russian Federation.Congressional Research Service 97
Congressional Research Service
97
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O'Rourke, Ronald. Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, report, August 1, 2018; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1248258/m1/102/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.