United States Policy in the Arctic

Abstract

The Arctic policy of the United States has remained broadly constant over the years since the early 1970s, when initial efforts to craft a unified U.S. government inter-agency approach to the Arctic were reviewed. It has been based on several key principles, which include the protection of our national security interests and the preservation of the principle of freedom of the seas and superjacent airspace, as well as the development and implementation of programs and activities to facilitate international cooperation in the areas of exploration, scientific research, resource development, exchange of scientific and technical data and the engagement of indigenous and local communities. The past two decades have witnessed an evolutionary trend and growth in United States perspective to welcome greater structured international and multilateral cooperation, which has resulted in more cohesion and better communication among Arctic countries.