Sovereignty and human security at Canadian Forces Station Alert

• Main Author: Dunning, Nicholas
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Arctic sovereignt; CFS Alert; human security; Arctic; Canadian Forces Station Alert
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10170/944

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is a major player in exercising sovereignty and ensuring human security in Canada’s Arctic. This research examined whether the mandate of Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert should be changed to enable the CAF to play an enhanced role in exercising sovereignty in the Arctic, in order to enable human security. Four overarching themes – presence (as a factor in sovereignty), innovation, Arctic mobility, and further presence (as a factor in human security) – were identified that describe how CFS Alert currently achieves this mandate and articulates further ways to advocate for human security. Through participant interviews, this research concluded that changes to the mandate of CFS Alert are not required. The research adds to the literature on human security, Arctic sovereignty, and provides policymakers and military commanders with practical recommendations on how to use existing strategic infrastructure to further safeguard Canada’s Arctic and protect its citizens.