Defence diplomacy in the Arctic: the search and rescue agreement as a confidence builder

Abstract

In May 2011, the members of the Arctic Council, the pre-eminent inter-governmental forum for circumpolar affairs, concluded the first legally binding agreement in its 15-year history. The Agreement on Search and Rescue (SAR) cooperation in the Arctic, while not a particularly influential document in its own right, offers the circumpolar states an excellent opportunity to pursue defense diplomacy in the region: the peacetime cooperative use of armed forces and related infrastructure as a tool of security and foreign policy. This paper will discuss the current status of military cooperation in the Arctic and outline the prospects for defense diplomacy as a means to reduce tension and enhance geopolitical stability in the region, particularly in the context of the new search and rescue agreement.