Question Period Note: Search and rescue incidents at the North Pole

Members of the House Committee on National Defence expressed concern over the need to cooperate with the Russian Federation to respond to a search and rescue incident at the North Pole.

• Canada has developed strong search and rescue (SAR) partnerships with all Arctic nations, through the legally binding Agreement on Cooperation on Aeroautical and maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic, as well as through multilateral fora such as the Arctic Coast Guard Forum.
• The invasion of Ukraine has paused formal engagement activities with Russia. If a maritime SAR incident occurred at the North Pole, where Canada and Russia have shared responsibility for Search and Rescue, collaboration may be required.
• A SAR event at the North Pole would likely require support from multiple Arctic nations given the distance and ability for each nation to respond so far North.
• An effective international response to a SAR event at the North Pole is within Canada’s national interest for safety and security.
• We continue to work closely with Inuit, the cruise ship industry and other federal partners to improve SAR preparedness and response in the Canadian Arctic.

• Aeronautical and Maritime SAR in the North Pole is governed by the 2011 Arctic SAR Agreement. By international convention, the North Pole includes the intersection of SAR responsibilities for five Arctic states: Canada, US, Denmark, Norway and Russia.
• On March 3, 2022, Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the U.S. issued a joint statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and temporarily suspending Arctic Council cooperation, including working group chairs, secretariats, and governance structures.
• The Arctic Coast Guard Forum, established in 2015, is an independent, informal, operationally-driven organization, not bound by treaty to foster safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic.
• On March 11th, 2022, an update was posted to CCG’s webpage dedicated to the ACGF, indicating publicly the CCG would be pausing activities in the ACGF: Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ccg-gcc.gc.ca).
• A SAR event at the North Pole, an area where all Arctic partners areas of responsibility converge, could require support from all Arctic nations.
• Canada led two international exercises related to SAR at the North Pole in 2021. These verified that all Arctic nations could be required to support if a major marine incident occurred.
• The Coast Guard continues to work with local Indigenous communities, industry and our like-minded international partners to improve SAR preparedness and response in the Canadian Arctic.

• The safety of mariners, and the public, remains the top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard.
• Canada condemns Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, and has paused all non-necessary activities with Russia.
• Canada is required, under international convention, to cooperate with Arctic nations in the event of a marine emergency.