The 5th Annual Arctic Frontiers, 23-28 January 2011

Look to the north
I would like to begin by expressing my support for the upcoming 5th Annual Arctic Frontiers Conference to be held in Tromsø in January 2011. Arctic Frontiers is an important international event aimed at fostering open and independent dialogue on sustainable development in the Arctic. I look forward to participating in the conference myself.

We need such venues where actors in the areas of science, business, civil society and government can get together and discuss the challenges we are facing in the Arctic. The Norwegian Government has made the High North its foreign policy priority number one. In my job as foreign minister, I look to the north every day. And I will continue to do so as long as we need to learn more about the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and how best to manage increasing human activity in the region as the sea ice retreats. 

Climate change as the key driver for change in the Arctic
Both opportunities and challenges are emerging in the Arctic as a result of man-made climate change.  

First, to take the challenges: Climate change is not only more immediately visible in the Arctic than elsewhere on the planet, it is also having effects in other parts of the world. Melting snow and ice in the Arctic is causing sea levels to rise and resulting in climatic disruption such as drought in Africa and altered monsoon patterns in Asia. 

We need to increase our knowledge about the state of the environment in the vulnerable Arctic in order to make the right political choices for the future. In my view, cross-border cooperation in the fields of science and research is key to this. 

Increased maritime transport and development of natural resources
Second, to take the opportunities: In various sectors such as research, tourism, maritime transport, fisheries and oil and gas, we are already seeing an increase in human activity levels in the High North as a consequence of the retreating ice. 

For example, in September this year a vessel sailed along the Northern Sea Route for the first time. It was carrying iron ore from Kirkenes in the far north of Norway all the way to China. 

The journey from Shanghai to Hamburg via the Northern Sea Route is 6 400 kilometres (40%) shorter than the route via the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal, saving time, fuel and money as well as reducing emissions. 

However, there are also substantial costs linked to Arctic shipping. The seas are stormy and navigation is difficult due to fog, ice forming on the vessels, and the need to pass through narrow, shallow straits, particularly along the “inner” Northern Sea Route along the Russian coast. 

Safety is also an issue. Norway is coordinating a correspondence group in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that has been established to further develop the draft International Code of Safety for Ships in Polar Waters, known as the Polar Code. 

New opportunities are also emerging in relation to natural resources. Some estimates indicate that more than 20% of the world’s total undiscovered petroleum resources are to be found in the Arctic. The Arctic nations must prepare for developments in this field. Again I would like to highlight the need for more intensified research to ensure safe and sustainable commercial activities in the High North. 

Legal framework
While Antarctica is land surrounded by ocean, the Arctic is ocean surrounded by land and is therefore regulated by the international law of the sea. In other words, the legal framework is provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and there is no dispute about this.

The Arctic coastal states must take steps to ensure that new activities that become possible as the sea ice retreats do not cause unnecessary environmental damage or pose a security risk. These states have the prime responsibility for managing the resources under their national jurisdiction in the Arctic Ocean. It is vital that they cooperate with each other, and with others when appropriate.

In the Ilulissat Declaration – which was reconfirmed in Ottawa in March 2010 – the Arctic coastal states confirm that an extensive international legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean and that they remain committed to an orderly settlement of any overlapping claims.

The recently signed delimitation treaty between Norway and Russia is a good example of how disputed maritime areas can be resolved on the basis of modern international law.

Successful institutions and peaceful cooperation
There are no military threats in the Arctic and the potential for conflict is low. The Arctic coastal states maintain a presence in the High North and exercise jurisdiction and sovereign rights.

Cooperation in the Arctic through sound regional and international institutions such as the Arctic Council has been very successful. There is a great deal of knowledge in the Arctic Council as a whole and in its various working groups, such as the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group (PAME) and the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

Sharing and further developing this knowledge will be vital if we are to ensure sustainable management of the natural resources in the Arctic.

The Arctic Council is also seeking to develop a legally binding agreement on search and rescue cooperation. This would be an important step forward, but would not be able to meet all the challenges that a larger volume of shipping in the Arctic could give rise to. This means that the maritime industry itself must take responsibility and develop adequate preventive measures.

To conclude, I would urge more people within science, business, civil society and government to look to the north. There is already a good basis for close international cooperation in the Arctic that the world should know more about, and the next Arctic Frontiers Conference will be an important opportunity to take this broad cooperation in the north to the next level.

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