Flat, cold and increasingly crowded: What policies for the Arctic?

The speech was delivered by State Secretary Elisabeth Walaas on behalf of Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

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• The title of this briefing refers to Thomas Friedman’s book Hot, Flat and Crowded, which will be familiar to many of you. The book discusses the effects of globalisation. The world is shrinking - we are all in the same game now.

• What is less well known is the subtitle: Why We Need a Green Revolution. It points to the challenges of climate change and the need for cleaner technology. Climate change is also an essential consideration in our approach to the Arctic.

• Traditionally, interest in Arctic issues was confined to a relatively small number of countries and communities in the northern hemisphere. This is no longer the case, first and foremost as a result of climate change, and new possibilities for human activities in the Arctic. These include new shipping routes, tourism and the possible exploitation of mineral and fisheries resources.

• This development is partly driven by the retreating sea ice, and partly by progress in technology and increased global demand for natural resources.

• The environment, in which this increased human activity would take place, is highly vulnerable. Development may put the environment at risk. We must succeed in meeting the main challenge, which is to ensure orderly and sustainable use of the Arctic. 

• The key to sustainable development of the Arctic is enhanced, broadened and effective international cooperation and coordination. We need concerted action to apply an ecosystem approach and draw up integrated management plans to preserve and to develop the Arctic region.

• One particular international governmental organisation with a special interest and mandate in Arctic affairs is the Arctic Council, of which Norway is the current chair. The Arctic Council is the only circumpolar organisation in existence. In addition to the Governments of the US, Canada, Russia and the Nordic countries, Permanent Participants representing indigenous peoples take part in the deliberations. This makes the Council unique. There are also several observers, including eight countries.

• Norway welcomes the Commission’s communication on the European Union and the Arctic region, and the engagement of the European Parliament in affairs concerning the Arctic. We share the same concerns and interests.

• Norway welcomes and supports the application for permanent observer status in the Arctic Council for the European Commission. We need European engagement to resolve common issues and challenges in the Arctic. We look forward to an even more structured cooperation with the EU on these issues in the Council.

• I view the European Commission’s communication on the Arctic as a delicate balancing act between protectionist forces and the concerns of the “users” of the Arctic.

• I fully endorse the three main policy objectives set out in the communication:

1. protecting and preserving the Arctic,
2. promoting the sustainable use of resources, and
3. contributing to enhanced multilateral governance of the Arctic.

• I believe the communication provides an excellent starting point for developing a comprehensive policy for the Arctic, and Norway stands ready to continue close consultations with the Commission and the European Union – bilaterally, multilaterally, and through the Arctic Council.

• To refer back to Friedman’s book once again, the concept of the world being flat implies that we are all playing the same game. But to ensure a level playing field, we also need common rules.

• As set out in the Ilulissat Declaration, adopted by the five Arctic coastal states on 28 May 2008, an extensive international legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides for important rights and obligations concerning issues related to the Arctic Ocean, such as the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment, including ice-covered areas, and freedom of navigation. This framework represents a solid foundation for responsible management of the Arctic Ocean. 

• In other words, there are no “legal gaps” in the Arctic that need to be filled. The Norwegian Government is convinced that there is no need to develop a new comprehensive international regime to govern the Arctic Ocean. We already have the necessary legal instruments – what is needed is to ensure effective implementation of and compliance with these instruments.

• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is particularly important in this regard. As a consequence of the melting ice, new possibilities for navigation in the Arctic Ocean are emerging. It may therefore be necessary to establish new shipping lanes and new standards for shipping in ice-covered areas, and to take other measures that should be developed under the auspices of the IMO. The Arctic Council is another important forum in this context. 

• As maritime activities in the Arctic increase, so will the dangers and hazards for those involved. Many Arctic states have emphasised the need for closer international cooperation on search and rescue (SAR) in the region. I totally agree. A proposal for a Memorandum of Understanding has been put forward in the Arctic Council, which could serve as a basis for cooperation on search and rescue of persons in distress at sea and survivors after aircraft accidents in the Arctic.  

• A crucial element in our approach to the Arctic is increasing scientific knowledge about the region and the processes that affect it. In this field, Norway offers a unique platform for researchers: Svalbard.

• We have invested considerable efforts and resources in building up a unique infrastructure for international research activities in Svalbard, with its unique Arctic conditions. Currently 13 countries have permanent research bases in Svalbard and scientists from more than 20 countries carry out research here.

• In December 2008, Svalbard was officially put on the priority list for major European research infrastructures, a roadmap that now includes 44 important research installations in Europe for the future.

• The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System will respond to a highly relevant need to monitor global environmental change, by upgrading and coordinating  current facilities,  making Svalbard a truly European platform for monitoring the Artic climate.It will also include partners from other parts of the world.