A bill to establish an Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs.
This bill would create a new diplomatic post within the U.S. State Department: an Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. The President would appoint the ambassador with Senate confirmation. The ambassador would represent the United States on Arctic matters, lead and coordinate international and interagency efforts related to the Arctic, and undertake other duties designated by the Secretary of State. The role covers a broad agenda—national security, energy, environment, trade, infrastructure, law enforcement, and political-military issues—while emphasizing cooperation with Arctic nations, responsible natural resource management, environmental protection, support for Arctic indigenous peoples, and scientific research. The definition of the Arctic region and the list of Arctic countries are specified in the bill. The bill adds this ambassador as part of the State Department’s authority framework and directs that the ambassador maintain continuous observation and coordination of Arctic issues, working with other federal agencies as appropriate. It aims to elevate U.S. Arctic policy to a centralized, diplomacy-focused leadership position.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and authority: Creates an Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State, appointed by the President with Senate confirmation.
- 2Duties and leadership: The ambassador represents the United States in Arctic matters and leads coordination of related U.S. government programs abroad, plus other duties assigned by the Secretary of State.
- 3Areas of responsibility: Continuous observation and coordination on energy, environment, trade, infrastructure, law enforcement, and political-military aspects of Arctic foreign policy; cross-agency collaboration with other federal departments as directed.
- 4Scope of mission: Areas include national security, cooperation among Arctic countries, responsible resource management and economic development, environmental protection and conservation of biological resources, involvement of Arctic indigenous peoples, and scientific monitoring/research.
- 5Definitions: Specifies the Arctic region (geographic and U.S. territory components) and the Arctic countries (the eight permanent Arctic Council members: United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia).