III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 167
Recognizing the importance of the Arctic Council and reaffirming the
commitment of the United States to the Arctic Council.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL9, 2025
Ms. M
URKOWSKI(for herself and Mr. KING) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the importance of the Arctic Council and re-
affirming the commitment of the United States to the
Arctic Council.
Whereas the United States became an Arctic nation upon the
purchase of Alaska in 1867;
Whereas the Arctic Council was established on September 19,
1996, through the Ottawa Declaration, to enhance co-
operation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic
states with the active involvement of Arctic Indigenous
peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic
issues;
Whereas the United States is a founding member of the Arc-
tic Council and has twice served as Chair, from 1998 to
2000, and again from 2015 to 2017;
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•SRES 167 IS
Whereas the Ottawa Declaration defines 8 states, Canada,
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federa-
tion, Sweden, and the United States, as Arctic states and
members of the Arctic Council as they have sovereignty
over territory in the Arctic region;
Whereas the Arctic region is undergoing unprecedented envi-
ronmental, economic, and social changes due to the im-
pacts of climate change and increased human activity;
Whereas the Arctic Council has an advanced understanding
of Arctic challenges through scientific assessments, policy
recommendations, and collaborative initiatives;
Whereas the engagement of Indigenous communities and re-
spect for traditional knowledge are integral to the Arctic
Council’s success;
Whereas the Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental
initiative involving all Arctic states, raising global aware-
ness of the Arctic’s significance and influencing inter-
national climate policies;
Whereas the Arctic Council has addressed key issues such as
persistent organic pollutants, oil spill prevention, search
and rescue, and scientific collaboration;
Whereas the Arctic Council emphasizes sustainable develop-
ment, environmental protection, and peace in the Arctic
amidst growing competition over resources and shipping
routes;
Whereas the Arctic Council has played a vital role in main-
taining the Arctic as a region of low tension and its con-
tinued work is essential to ensuring a safe, secure, and
stable Arctic for all;
Whereas the Arctic Council has made significant contribu-
tions to understanding Arctic biodiversity, ocean health,
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and sustainable resource management, while also ad-
dressing emerging threats such as microplastics and ship-
ping pollution;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated leadership in
Arctic affairs, notably through initiatives such as the
Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, which provided a
groundbreaking understanding of climate change impacts,
and the International Circumpolar Surveillance system, a
region-wide disease surveillance system led by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention;
Whereas the United States has supported collaborative Arctic
Council initiatives such as the Circumpolar Wildland Fire
Initiative, developed under Norway’s Chairship, in part-
nership with Gwich’in Council International;
Whereas the Russian Federation’s illegal war of aggression
against Ukraine has significantly impacted the operations
of the Arctic Council, raising concerns over the Russian
Federation’s military modernization in the Arctic and re-
inforcing cooperative security ties among the 7 other Arc-
tic states (commonly known as the ‘‘A7’’);
Whereas, in response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Rus-
sian Federation, the A7 states temporarily paused par-
ticipation in all Arctic Council meetings;
Whereas the European Union suspended cooperation with the
Russian Federation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council,
leading to the withdrawal of the Russian Federation in
2023;
Whereas, despite the suspension of cooperation with the Rus-
sian Federation, the Arctic Council and its working
groups resumed activities in mid-2023;
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Whereas, in February 2024, the Russian Federation sus-
pended annual payments to the Arctic Council until its
participation was reinstated;
Whereas, in February 2024, the 8 Arctic states, in consulta-
tion with Indigenous permanent participant organiza-
tions, reached consensus to gradually resume official
working group meetings;
Whereas Finland and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlan-
tic Treaty Organization has heightened the Arctic’s stra-
tegic importance for the alliance;
Whereas, in recent years, the United States has expanded its
diplomatic presence in the Arctic region and strengthened
economic and people to people ties with the region;
Whereas the Russian Federation’s diplomatic isolation from
the A7 states has led to the Kremlin’s increased coopera-
tion with non-A7 countries, particularly the People’s Re-
public of China, which poses a threat to United States
and European national security; and
Whereas a national intelligence estimate by the National In-
telligence Council indicates that both Arctic and non-Arc-
tic states will likely increase their competitive activities
and military presence in the region as warming tempera-
tures make the Arctic more accessible and states seek to
protect their investments: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) recognizes the key role the Arctic Council 2
has played as a critical forum for fostering inter-3
national cooperation, sustainable development, and 4
environmental protection in the Arctic region; 5
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(2) commends the Arctic Council for its 1
achievements in promoting scientific research, policy 2
coordination, and Indigenous participation to ad-3
dress regional challenges; 4
(3) affirms the United States commitment to 5
active participation and leadership within the Arctic 6
Council to advance shared goals and uphold the val-7
ues of cooperation and respect among Arctic nations 8
and Indigenous peoples; 9
(4) acknowledges the Arctic Council’s 8 member 10
states—Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor-11
way, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the 12
United States—as key participants in the Arctic 13
Council due to their sovereignty over territories in 14
the Arctic Region, which enables them to engage in 15
collaborative efforts to address Arctic issues; 16
(5) encourages increased collaboration among 17
Arctic Council member states, permanent partici-18
pants, and observers to address emerging challenges 19
and opportunities in the Arctic, including the im-20
pacts of climate change and sustainable economic 21
development; 22
(6) supports robust funding and resources for 23
United States agencies and organizations engaged in 24
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•SRES 167 IS
Arctic Council activities to ensure the United States 1
fulfills its responsibilities as an Arctic nation; 2
(7) calls upon the Arctic Council to continue 3
prioritizing peace, security, and environmental stew-4
ardship in the Arctic to safeguard the region for fu-5
ture generations; 6
(8) urges the executive branch to uphold and 7
promote the principles and objectives of the Arctic 8
Council in its Arctic policy and diplomacy efforts; 9
(9) emphasizes the importance of increased 10
United States attention and resources in the Arctic 11
as geopolitical competition and human activities in 12
the region intensify; and 13
(10) emphasizes the importance of the position 14
of United States Arctic Ambassador-at-Large to pro-15
vide strong and consistent United States leadership 16
in Arctic diplomacy and engagement and urges the 17
executive branch to take all necessary steps to pre-18
vent prolonged vacancies in this critical role. 19
Æ
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