Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress Page: 103 of 117

                                
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress
4. Implementation: In carrying out this policy as it relates to extended continental shelf and
boundary issues, the Secretary of State, in coordination with heads of other relevant
executive departments and agencies, shall:
a. Take all actions necessary to establish the outer limit of the continental shelf appertaining
to the United States, in the Arctic and in other regions, to the fullest extent permitted under
international law;
b. Consider the conservation and management of natural resources during the process of
delimiting the extended continental shelf; and
c. Continue to urge the Russian Federation to ratify the 1990 United States-Russia maritime
boundary agreement.
E. Promoting International Scientific Cooperation
1. Scientific research is vital for the promotion of United States interests in the Arctic
region. Successful conduct of U.S. research in the Arctic region requires access throughout
the Arctic Ocean and to terrestrial sites, as well as viable international mechanisms for
sharing access to research platforms and timely exchange of samples, data, and analyses.
Better coordination with the Russian Federation, facilitating access to its domain, is
particularly important.
2. The United States promotes the sharing of Arctic research platforms with other countries
in support of collaborative research that advances fundamental understanding of the Arctic
region in general and potential Arctic change in particular. This could include collaboration
with bodies such as the Nordic Council and the European Polar Consortium, as well as
with individual nations.
3. Accurate prediction of future environmental and climate change on a regional basis, and
the delivery of near real-time information to end-users, requires obtaining, analyzing, and
disseminating accurate data from the entire Arctic region, including both paleoclimatic data
and observational data. The United States has made significant investments in the
infrastructure needed to collect environmental data in the Arctic region, including the
establishment of portions of an Arctic circumpolar observing network through a
partnership among United States agencies, academic collaborators, and Arctic residents.
The United States promotes active involvement of all Arctic nations in these efforts in order
to advance scientific understanding that could provide the basis for assessing future
impacts and proposed response strategies.
4. United States platforms capable of supporting forefront research in the Arctic Ocean,
including portions expected to be ice-covered for the foreseeable future, as well as
seasonally ice-free regions, should work with those of other nations through the
establishment of an Arctic circumpolar observing network. All Arctic nations are members
of the Group on Earth Observations partnership, which provides a framework for
organizing an international approach to environmental observations in the region. In
addition, the United States recognizes that academic and research institutions are vital
partners in promoting and conducting Arctic research.
5. Implementation: In carrying out this policy as it relates to promoting scientific
international cooperation, the Secretaries of State, the Interior, and Commerce and the
Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with heads of other relevant
executive departments and agencies, shall:
a. Continue to play a leadership role in research throughout the Arctic region;
b. Actively promote full and appropriate access by scientists to Arctic research sites
through bilateral and multilateral measures and by other means;
c. Lead the effort to establish an effective Arctic circumpolar observing network with broad

partnership from other relevant nations;

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