1
Speaking points
Mr Eirik Sivertsen, Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the
Arctic Region
Check against delivery
Seminar in Paris 6th February 2015
[Managing the Arctic]
Bonjour
Thank you for inviting me to this seminar on “Managing the Arctic”.
First of all, let me start with expressing my deepest compassion with you all for
the terrible happenings in Paris last month. My thoughts and deepest sympathy
goes to the relatives of those who were killed.
It is an honor for me to address you this morning and talk about Arctic
cooperation. The Arctic continues to be an increasingly important topic, and it
is very positive that it remains high on the agenda also here in France.
France is a nation with strong polar traditions, especially related to polar
research activities. Your priorities and analyses give interesting perspectives
also to the Arctic nations.
2
We have seen nations with limited polar traditions showing increasing interest
in the Arctic, such as Singapore and India. This development underlines the
political importance of the Arctic region, and I will come back to the role of
observers in the Arctic cooperation.
At Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, we have had the great pleasure of
receiving visits of political delegations from France. I myself had the pleasure of
meeting Senator Gattolin just before Christmas in 2013. My colleague in the
Foreign affairs committee, Mr. Kristian Norheim, met with Mr. Gaymard and
Mr. Mamère August last year, to discuss the High North policy of Norway.
As a parliamentarian attending many Arctic meetings over the past five years, I
have also noted an increased French participation in Arctic meetings. In
November last year, I had the pleasure of listening to the French country
session during the Arctic Circle plenary in Reykjavik.
In Reykjavik, Polar Ambassador and former Prime Minister Mr. Rocard outlined
the French interests in the Arctic in a very convincing manner.
I also recall the presentation at the Arctic Circle from the director of the French
Polar Institute, which was mainly about the French research station in NyÅlesund at Svalbard, and the activities there, both the facilities and some of the
projects. A high level of activity was presented and as a Norwegian I am very
supportive of the French/German cooperation and activities in Svalbard on
Polar research. It is an important contribution to global research on climate
issues.
3
I also know France, as a longtime observer to the Arctic Council, participates
and contributes to the work of the Arctic Council. The role of scientists in the
different working groups of the Arctic Council is the most significant
contribution an observer country can give to the work of the Arctic Council.
French scientists, through the “French Polar Initiative”, are making significant
contributions to our knowledge about the Arctic. I am really looking forward to
the presentation of the Arctic Roadmap for France later this spring.
The cooperation on science in the Polar Regions is a main basis for the Arctic
cooperation. There is a task-force under the Arctic Council looking at how we
can improve the cooperation on science in the Arctic. This is important work
and we will soon learn the conclusions of the task force.
Dear friends,
You have chosen highly interesting and relevant topics for your seminar today.
The topics reflect to some extent the agenda items at the latest Conference of
Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, which took place in Whitehorse, Canada,
in September last year.
In the Conference Statement adopted by all participants we address what we
find are the most important areas in the Arctic cooperation at the moment.
1. Sustainable infrastructure development,
4
2. Arctic governance and decision-making processes,
3. Innovative capacity building and economic development,
4. Environmental challenges
[Arctic governance]
Arctic governance was actually a topic at both of the two previous
parliamentary conferences. In connection to the conference in Akureyri in
2012, the Standing Committee of Arctic parliamentarians adopted the report
“Arctic Governance in an evolving Arctic region”. This report and the joint
statement from the Akureyri conference is the basis for the views on Arctic
governance.
In brief, the report notes the fundamental importance of the International Law
of the Sea and especially the UN Convention on the law of the sea as the basis
for regulating activities related to the Arctic Ocean. Furthermore we
acknowledge the success of the Arctic Council, the role of the Permanent
Participants and how their participation is a key to the success of the Arctic
Council. We also underline that we in general wish observers welcome to the
Arctic cooperation, as they have valuable contributions to the work of
promoting a sustainable future for the Arctic.
In Whitehorse, the perspective on governance was more directed to the
importance of involving the people living in the Arctic in the decision-making
about the Arctic.
5
There is a need to balance the role of the nation states and the capitals with
the experiences and the views of the people who are actually living in the
region. This perspective is also important when discussing development of the
natural resources in the Arctic. The local people need to be involved in the
processes and they need to see advantages from the development themselves.
The involvement of the people living in the North is to some extent already
happening through the participation of the indigenous peoples as Permanent
Participants in the Arctic Council.
But there are also other northerners living here, and their voices need to be
heard when making decisions about their future. This is also an important
national discussion as the capitals are located relatively far to the south in all
the Arctic countries.
[Arctic geopolitics]
Your second topic for today’s seminar is also highly relevant, but not directly a
topic on the agenda of the Arctic cooperation. As you will know military
cooperation and security issues is explicitly excluded from the Arctic Council
cooperation in the Ottawa declaration from 1996. That being said, much of
what is happening in the Arctic and the Arctic cooperation has geopolitical
aspects. I think a discussion about where we should discuss these matters is
needed. I will not go into further details here, but I look forward to listen to
speakers and the debate.
The third topic however, is a topic of considerable interest for the Arctic
cooperation. This is still a fairly new topic in the Arctic Council, but has received
6
additional momentum under the Canadian Chairmanship of the Arctic Council
with the establishment of the Arctic Economic Council last year.
From the view of the Arctic parliamentarians we have chosen to focus on two
sides of economic development –strengthen Arctic innovation and capacity
building to make the people living in the North able to make use of the new
opportunities in the region.
As you will note, innovation and capacity building are closely linked. We believe
that we through cooperation with the universities and the business sector, and
by building on local knowledge on how to operate and survive in harsh climate
conditions, we will be able to find the solutions we need for a solve the
challenges we meet in the Arctic.
We should build on already existing networks, such as the University of the
Arctic and the Arctic Economic Council, and build on internationally recognized
standards for Corporate Social Responsibility.
It is of paramount importance that the people living in the Arctic must be fully
involved in the new opportunities arising in the Arctic. One of the main
questions we ask ourselves in the Arctic parliamentary cooperation is how we
best prepare the ground for sustainable economic development in the Arctic
that benefits the people in the region?
7
As a parliamentarian I am committed to focusing on the peoples living in the
Arctic, the peoples who are experiencing the changes first hand. We must build
on the knowledge and experiences of the people in the Arctic to shape a
sustainable future for the people and the environment.
The Arctic is rich in both human and natural resources and the increased access
to, and knowledge of, these natural resources has attracted global attention
and interest. Mines are opening up and new commercial shipping routes are
opening up, while cruise ships are entering more remote areas in the Arctic.
These developments will change the Arctic in many ways.
The social benefits and costs are potentially huge in many of the development
projects, especially related to the utilization of natural resources. The impact
on small societies when new industry opens up, with the potential influx of
thousands of workers, many of them from other nations, is dramatic. The Arctic
countries with their Northern communities must prepare to meet the
challenges and opportunities
Developing natural resources involves additional risks to the local environment
and to the societies concerned. For the local people to accept this risk as
worthwhile, they need to be able to see direct benefits from the activity. Thus,
strong partnerships between Arctic communities, business and governments
are crucial. As non-renewable natural resource extraction will inevitably end,
the period of natural resource development must be utilized to help build
societies that last beyond the life of the resource.
In many small societies around the Arctic the development of the natural
resources will create new opportunities for the people, including jobs that are
8
not currently available. However, responsible development depends on
cooperation and understanding with the people living in the Arctic. The
development must take place in cooperation between the governments, the
companies and the peoples.
However, I believe it is time to address Arctic innovation beyond the
development of natural resources. What will the people living in the Arctic live
off in addition to its rich resources? How do we stimulate innovation in the
Arctic which addresses the needs of future Arctic societies?
Many of the challenges and opportunities facing the peoples of the Arctic are
similar. In the Conference Statement from Whitehorse we call for broader
cooperation between the Arctic states to enable local residents to make use of
new opportunities in the Arctic. Innovation in the Arctic must be an area of
Arctic cooperation with a system that links the science community, the
business sector and political society with the local populations.
Dear friends,
Later this year the most important Arctic meeting will take place here in Paris.
A successful outcome of the COP 21 is very decisive for the future of the Arctic,
for the environment, and for the people living there.
In our statement from Whitehorse we ask the Arctic governments to “Raise a
strong Arctic message to communicate the consequences of climate change in
the Arctic” at the COP 21 negotiations in Paris in December 2015.
9
We see and feel the consequences of climate change in the Arctic. The
changing weather with stronger winds, bigger waves and higher temperatures
is changing the world we live in. The ice is melting; the tundra is thawing and
the coastal erosion increasing. This is affecting our societies and our ways of
life.
There are between four and ten million people living in the Arctic, depending
on how you count. It is not we alone that have created the climate changes.
We will take our part of the responsibility, but we do not solve the globes
climate crisis by making the Arctic into a sanctuary.
We will have to continue to address climate change, mitigation, as well as
adaptation, also in 2016. A deal in Paris this fall would be very important in
recognizing the shared responsibility we have for the future of our planet –
“Our Common Future”.
I look forward to participating here today and listen to the next presentations.
Thank you for your attention.