Who owns the arctic conference

These meetings represent the few opportunities for stakeholders usually scattered across the circumpolar region to meet and build common connections.

Furthermore critical in exposing policymakers to the communities, living conditions, and challenges that are unique to the region; most Arctic policymakers do not actually live in the Arctic themselves. However, an uneven post-pandemic legacy challenges cross-border cooperation.

While academics, stakeholders, and policymakers from Scandinavia and Europe prepare for conferences like the Norwegian Arctic Frontiers January 31 and Finnish Arctic Spirit November , international disputes over vaccines and travel regulations restrict the attendance of their Russian counterparts. With a focus on environmental protection, climate change, and security relations, the draft highlights a proposal to convince partner countries to agree to ban oil and gas deposit development in the region.

Brussels will also seek to boost economic, educational and research ties with Greenland, establishing a European Commission Office in Nuuk. The Commission aims to strengthen research into the effects and mitigation measures for thawing permafrost. Yet, this proposal might have unintended effects. However, an altruistic dedication to climate change is not the driving factor behind the new Arctic strategy, even if the EU has been keen to market it as such.

With previously limited influence in the area, the European Commission proposal reflects the increasing presence of the Arctic on the geopolitical agenda, but also strategic aspirations and anxieties. The Arctic is rich in rare and desirable earth minerals that are now becoming easier to extract as the ice melts. Europe has been desperate to reduce its dependence on China for these critical materials, and has made no secret of its interest in the mineral deposits hosted by Greenland. The third and final session of the conference, with panelists Simon, Byers, Baev and Creighton University professor Elizabeth Elliot-Meisel, addressed the past, present and projected future of international cooperation in the Arctic.

But, Byers explained, recent years have seen marked improvements in the respect accorded to Inuit peoples in Arctic matters and in intergovernmental efforts to avoid conflict.

The evening concluded with a special artistic presentation highlighting the Norwegian Arctic. Euronews looks into the stakes of this Arctic Council meeting and the positions and interests of the major players in the region.

And that started changing about 15 years ago as the Arctic sea ice started to melt. And so all of a sudden there's more accessibility for oil, natural gas minerals," Weitz told Euronews.

I would just say it's a difference of degree. China's interest is mainly to diversify its energy supply, Weitz said, "going through the Bering strait and be able to extract both Norwegian and Russian natural gas and import it through the Arctic and the North Pacific to avoid the Suez Canal and the Malacca straits. Only 4. It explicitly says it can't talk about military and security issues," said Weitz. While the eight Arctic nations are the primary actors in the council, they are not the only ones.

All around the Arctic, all the different indigenous populations have permanent observer status," he said. Many European Union countries have representation in the Arctic Council as observers.

Likewise, the U. It represents an important step forward in ensuring that the council becomes even more effective and cooperative for the future. A particular focus on Indigenous peoples and the unique role of the Permanent Participants within the Arctic Council has distinguished the 12th Arctic Ministerial Meeting from the previous events of this kind.

The voices of the representatives of peoples of the North is very important, as they have been sharing traditional and local knowledge for decades. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Time and again, the Arctic Council has shown itself to be a venue for peace and cooperation, with every official from the Arctic 8 restating their commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and discussions instead of confrontation.

The Arctic region is a region of peace, stability, and constructive cooperation.