FORUM DE DEFENSE ET DE STRATEGIE
Potential French-Canadian Collaboration in the Face of New Security and Climate Threats in the Canadian Arctic
By Magali Vullierme et Alexandre Cicard, RAS, NSA
December 19th 2024
Summary
While allies in numerous international organizations, France and Canada also maintain bilateral relations in many fields, including defence. Focusing on the Arctic sub-regions, this note proposes possible avenues of collaboration between Canada, an Arctic state, and France, an observer country to the Arctic Council. The identification of possible avenues for collaboration between these two states is all the more interesting given that the Canadian Arctic is facing ever-greater security and climate threats, which could require support from its allies. The updated Canadian Defence Policy, released on April 8, 2024, by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Defence Minister Bill Blair, was in fact a response to the need to address new threats created by “the changing geopolitical environment and natural landscapes” for Canada and its population.
More specifically, this new policy identifies three trends within which avenues for collaboration between Canada and France could be developed.
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The security threats posed by certain external powers in the Canadian Arctic crystallize around the presence of China. Since 2022, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has been warning of the risk of Chinese (and Russian) interests in the construction of commercial (mining, telecommunications) and civil (roads, houses, etc.) infrastructures in the North.
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The challenges linked to new technologies in Arctic sub-regions can be illustrated by the eminently strategic nature of submarine telecommunications cables. Recent cable cuts have illustrated the vulnerability of these telecommunications infrastructures and the need for digital sovereignty on the part of certain state actors.
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Still too often treated uniformly by the media, the impacts of climate change will be uneven across the North American, European and Russian Arctic sub-regions. The size, geology and natural environment of Inuit Nunangat make it one of the states most at risk, alongside Russia.
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France and Canada have already forged ties in strategic research. These could be strengthened on defence issues, both within universities and research institutes, by creating, for example, synergies between MINDS and DGRIS. A potential update of the French Polar Strategy could highlight the need to increase joint search and rescue training between the two countries. Finally, the sharing of information and scientific data on misinformation and on the multiple risks and impacts of permafrost climate change must continue to be stepped up between Canada, France, and their allies. Initial measures were announced during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Canada at the end of September 2023.
This policy report, published by the Network for Strategic Analysis (RAS-NSA), is part of the Personnalités d'Avenir France Canada program on defense issues, 2024 edition, organized by the FDS and the France-Canada Association, with the support of the Department of National Defence of Canada’s Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program.