Arctic Governance and the Arctic Council: Innovations, Transformations, and Legacies

The Arctic has been understood by many commentators as an “exceptional” region in international affairs due to the unique level of cooperation and collaboration among the Arctic states, Arctic Indigenous Peoples, and non-Arctic states in governing the region. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, however, has dramatically shifted the geopolitical context of the Arctic. This new context has raised questions about the future of Arctic governance and the international norms that have made the region unique. This lecture will discuss the key intergovernmental forums that have supported peaceful cooperation among the eight Arctic states in the region since the end of the Cold War, including the Arctic Council, and the emerging challenges that exist for these organizations (and for countries like Canada who contribute to them) as the world shifts into a period of great power competition.