FAAE Committee Report

The Official Opposition Members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development largely concur with the Committee’s report, however we wish to make the following points.

It is the view of the Official Opposition Members of the Committee that the primary consideration of the Arctic Council under the two years of Canada's chairmanship should remain on the issues related to the mitigation and impacts  of climate change on the Arctic environment, which are international and global in implication and can more effectively be tackled by multinational means, and social development. Business development, while increasing in importance, will only benefit from international agreement on and understanding of these issues.

The first two recommendations of the report encourage the Arctic Council to move away from its main mandate of dealing with the Arctic environment, including the challenges presented by climate change, and social development towards a new focus on business development. It is the view of the Official Opposition Committee Members that business development of Arctic communities will best advance when the urgent issues of climate change and social development are prioritized by the Council.

Regarding recommendation three, the Official Opposition Members of the Committee would prefer to see the Aboriginal Permanent Participants funded through the Arctic Council rather than having them reliant on individual nations for their funding.

With regards to recommendation fourteen, the Official Opposition Committee Members also feel the Arctic Council should be encouraging an international Arctic scientific research agenda rather than having individual nations working in isolation.

Finally, the Official Opposition Members of the Committee regret that the Minister responsible for the Arctic Council was unable to appear before the committee during the preparation of this report. Given the importance of the Minister’s role as incoming Council Chair, and the interest of all Members in a successful Canadian chairmanship, we ask that the Minister make an annual report to Parliament in each of the two years of the Canadian chairmanship.