Dire Straits: The American Canadian Dispute Over the Northwest Passage and a Policy Recommendation to Improve Arctic Security

Abstract

Global climate change is thawing the Arctic, opening once impassable northern waterways and presenting new challenges for Canada and the United States as maritime traffic in the region increases. A longstanding legal dispute over the Northwest Passage, the once-frozen strait running through Canada’s Arctic Archipelago, continues to hinder bilateral efforts to curtail rising threats to the environment, human health, and national security. This analysis examines the existing literature on the North American Arctic and incorporates information gathered from various American and Canadian government officials, military personnel, and academics in order to craft a solution to this legal dispute. I argue that Canada and the United States can overcome this dispute by negotiating a bilateral transit agreement, and that this bilateral agreement will catalyze efforts by both nations to implement the infrastructure improvements necessary to safeguard the Arctic.