Innlegg på Arktisk Råds møte på Grønland

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Distinguished colleagues,
Representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen, 

• I would like to thank Prime Minister Kleist for his extraordinary hospitality, which will make our time here in Nuuk particularly memorable. I would also like to thank you, Lene [Espersen] and your team. I think you have conducted your presidency with great dignity. Thank you also for your work in the run-up to this meeting, which has been more substantial than any other, previous ministerial meeting.   
• As we discussed during the lunch for ministers, some say there is a “race for the Arctic”. I think we have demonstrated at this meeting that there is no such race. What we have shown is that there is a race for sustainable management and for modern cooperation between responsible Arctic states.
• I believe that we have demonstrated during the past few years that there is no “legal vacuum” in the Arctic. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea regulates largely what we do in the maritime areas. We are modern states with rights and obligations, we are ready to live up to them, and we pledge to do so.
• Norway and Russia concluded, after 40 years of negotiations, a maritime delimitation agreement in the Barents Sea. It will enter into force in early July, sending a signal to all Arctic states and the rest of the world that we deal with differences through negotiations, on the basis of modern principles.
• I salute the two decisions we have taken here. When it comes to structure, we have an open message to observers: We would like to see observers join us in the work of the Arctic Council. There are procedures for this, which will be followed when preparing for our next ministerial meeting.
• Norway is proud and honoured to have been vested with the responsibility of creating an Arctic secretariat, which we will do in cooperation with the incoming Swedish presidency. I would like to thank all those who have supported us.
• In the past, our challenge was that few knew of the Arctic Council. Today, we have been dealing with challenges that also preoccupy non-Arctic states.  This is a good example of how the Arctic is coming to the attention of other parts of the world. Not only the Arctic as a region, but also its people. The Arctic is home to indigenous peoples and many others who make their living in this fascinating region.
  

(Three decades of Arctic cooperation. First decade, pollution)

• You might say that we have gone through three phases.
• Pollution was the main focus during the first decade of Arctic cooperation. It is still a key issue.  
• We saw unacceptable levels of environmentally hazardous substances and heavy metals documented in the Arctic in spite of the distance from industrialised areas. This knowledge has now been updated (through a new AMAP report). Mercury still poses a danger to Arctic wildlife and people.
• This is unacceptable. We fully support the efforts to conclude agreements to reduce these emissions. We need advocacy far beyond the Arctic to make a difference here. 

(Climate change – second decade of Arctic cooperation)

• In our second decade of Arctic cooperation, we turned to climate change. We became aware of the fact that we have front row seats for observing climate change
• We recognize that this is important, not only for this region, but because it can also help explain why Lake Chad, in the middle of Africa, is drying up and why we see similar patterns throughout the world.
• Our task will be to convey this knowledge to the negotiating tables where the global climate talks are taking place. We, the eight Arctic states, must take responsibility. But our main task will be disseminating these facts.
• We have been doing this through the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, ACIA, since 2004.
• The new SWIPA report confirms and underscores the message: Arctic summer temperatures over the past few decades have been higher than at any time in 2000 years.
• We have seen it here in Greenland: The ice sheet is melting, the sea ice is retreating, the permafrost is thawing and the sea-level rise seems to be far more serious than predicted.
• Now we should urge Arctic states – and our observers – to intensify mitigation efforts and share their knowledge.  A continued focus on polar science is essential.I support the proposal to create an international polar decade put forward by colleagues.
• We also have more knowledge about short-lived climate forcers: Up to 40% of Arctic warming may be caused by short-lived climate forcers such as black carbon.
• We need to initiate projects to combat this problem locally and globally. Norway will initiate a project on domestic heating, more specifically on heating from wood-fired stoves. 
• We are also proud to support Secretary of State Clinton’s initiative on clean cookstoves, which is not really a major issue in our countries. But in the countries of the South, it poses a double hazard, both to mothers and children, who suffer from respiratory diseases because of indoor air pollution. At the same time, the emissions from this cooking process are covering the ice shelves of the Himalayas with dust and soot and posing a real threat. We need to deal with this.

(Increased activity – third decade of Arctic cooperation)

• In the third decade of Arctic cooperation, we are turning our focus to adaptation, in addition to dealing with pollution and climate change.
• We are pleased that the agreement on search and rescue in the Arctic has been finalised. This agreement is not the answer to all the incidents that could happen in the Arctic, but it provides for ways to deal with them and how we will work with it. 
• Now we must go home and strengthen our capacities so that we can fulfil our obligations. This will cost money and require organisation, but if we fail to do so, we will not live up to the expectations.
• We look forward to the completion of the IMO polar code for ships that will apply for shipping both in the Arctic and in Antarctica.
• Finally, oil spill prevention is our next task. We welcome the establishment of a new task force to negotiate measures for oil spill preparedness and response throughout the region. We have experience in Norway in this area and have adopted standards for how companies are to deal with oil and gas exploration. We are ready to share that experience.
• Integrated management is the main tool for achieving our ultimate goal: long-term conservation and sustainable use based on scientific knowledge.

(Concluding remarks)

• I would like to conclude by wishing Sweden good luck with the presidency. We will do whatever we can to support Sweden in this undertaking.
• And now, as is the tradition at these meetings, I will leave the final minutes of my intervention to the President of the Saami Parliament, Mr Egil Olli. Egil, you have the floor. Thank you all.