The Arctic Institute’s Reaction to the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit, Canada

Contact
Dr. Kathrin Stephen, Berlin, Germany, kathrin.keil@thearcticinstitute.org, +49 (0) 331 28822 364

Washington D.C., 25 April 2014 – In response to the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit, Canada, on 24 April 2015 The Arctic Institute’s Senior Fellow Dr. Kathrin Stephen said:

“Next to the hand-over of the chairmanship from Canada to the US, the adoption of the Iqaluit Declaration was at the centre of the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit on 24 April 2015 in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. The Declaration takes stock of the Canadian chairmanship over the past two years and gives an outlook of the Council’s work for the coming two years of the US chairmanship.”

“At the top of the Iqaluit Declaration is the Arctic states and Permanent Participants’ reaffirmed commitment “to maintain peace, stability and constructive cooperation in the Arctic”, which is a point worth noting in these days of heightened geopolitical tension between Russia and the West. This may also be a sign of hope that the Arctic Council can continue to work as a place of continued contact and communication between all Arctic countries, including Russia, which could possibly also work as a continued line of communication while other contacts between Russia and NATO countries have been discontinued.”

“Three goals are in the centre of the Declaration: Sustaining Arctic Communities, Protecting the Unique Arctic Environment, and Building a Stronger Arctic Council.”

“The focus of the results of the Canadian chairmanship is on economic and social development opportunities in the Arctic, in line with the theme of the Canadian chairmanship over the last two years: “Development for the People of the North”.”

“This is also obvious in the emphasis in the document, stating that sustainable development in the Arctic region includes economic and social development next to the protection of the Arctic environment (which is mentioned in one sentence with the responsible use of natural resources, reverting again to economic development).”

“The first goal to be mentioned is thus also “Sustaining Arctic Communities” through responsible economic development in the region as well as initiatives for improving health, mental wellness and resilience, traditional and local knowledge, and telecommunications and community infrastructure, among many others.”

“Concerning the environmental protection of the Arctic, the Declaration first and foremost emphasizes the need to achieve an “effective, ambitious, durable international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015” to keep global warming within the two degree target. The reduction of greenhouse gases is identified as the most important contribution to limiting global and Arctic climate change, and thus also for the preservation of the unique Arctic environment.”

“Also the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as black carbon, ozone and methane is pointed out as an urgent task to improve climate and health conditions in the Arctic. This is a task for Arctic and non-Arctic countries alike, since the majority of black carbon in the Arctic originates outside the Arctic in industrialized, densely populated areas.”

“No decision has been taken on any of the pending observer applications, including the one of the European Union, on which a final decision has already been postponed two years ago at the Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, because of a dispute between the EU and Canada on the EU’s ban on the import of commercial seal products. The Iqaluit Declaration thus defers decisions on the observer applications to the next Ministerial Meeting in 2017.”

“The fact that Russia was represented by Sergei Donskoi, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and not by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has in the run-up to the Iqaluit meeting been interpreted as a “frosty” signal to the Council and a possible threat to Arctic cooperation. However, also Sweden was not represented by their foreign minister in Iqaluit but by Kristina Persson, Minister for Nordic Cooperation. Also, we shall recall that in Kiruna two years ago it was not the Canadian foreign minister who put his signature underneath the Kiruna Declaration, but Leona Aglukkaq, Minister for the Arctic Council (although this was the Ministerial meeting when Canada took over the chairmanship!). Thus, the absence of Minister Lavrov should not be over-interpreted.”