Rethinking Governance in Time of Pandemics in the Arctic

Fishermen at the Port of Ilulissat, Greenland, January 2020. Photo: Ebru Caymaz

With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has found itself in a global health emergency, which has caused a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and brought normal life around the world to a halt for the better part of a year. The Arctic Institute’s COVID-19 Series offers an interesting compilation of best practices, challenges and diverse approaches to the pandemic applied by various Arctic states, regions, and communities. We hope that this series will contribute to our understanding of how the region has coped with this unprecedented crisis as well as provide food for thought about possibilities and potential of development of regional cooperation.

The Arctic Institute COVID19 Series 2020-2021

• COVID-19 in the Arctic: The Arctic Institute’s Winter Series 2020-2021
• COVID-19 and Arctic Search and Rescue, our Duty to Act
• Vulnerable Communities: How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected Indigenous People in the Russian Arctic?
• Brazilians in the Arctic: A Global Experience with Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• COVID-19’s Impact on the Administration of Justice in Canada’s Arctic
• Isolation and Resilience of Arctic Oil Exploration during COVID-19: Business as usual or Structural Shift?
• COVID-19: How the Virus has frozen Arctic Research
• Rethinking Governance in Time of Pandemics in the Arctic
• Russia’s COVID Blinders: Arctic Policy Changes or Lack Thereof
• Geography of Economic Recovery Strategies in Nordic Countries
• Fly-in Fly-Out Workers in the Arctic: The Need for More Workforce Transparency in the Arctic
• Measures Taken by the Canadian Coast Guard to Respond to the Pandemic in the Canadian Arctic
• COVID-19 in the Arctic: Final Remarks

The world is currently facing a common challenge. COVID-19 has turned into a global health crisis which has been affecting almost every individual simultaneously. The level of cooperation and coordination between actors at local, national, and global levels has become highly crucial and the effectiveness of the response mainly depends on good governance. Meanwhile, the Arctic is even more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic due to its insufficient public health infrastructure. The aim of this paper is to examine the suitable governance models for the Arctic communities in order to cope with crises. Since an efficient governance process pertaining to the Arctic, which includes full participation of all Arctic states as well as Indigenous communities, is essential to implement resilience strategies, scientific governance is suggested as the suitable governance model to cope with crises within the region.

Definitions of Governance

Governance can be defined as a term which provides a framework in relation to encompassing notions of how political and administrative decisions are made, how governmental systems function, how states are related to societies and why formal and informal institutions are significant while performing work and getting things done. Six essential components have been determined as the drivers of good governance: legitimacy, transparency, accountability, rule of law, responsiveness, and effectiveness.¹⁾Keping, Y (2018) Governance and Good Governance: A New Framework for Political Analysis. Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences 11: pp.1-8. According to a policy brief published by the United Nations, governance is heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as public health goals have diverted people and institutions from their normal routines. As the pandemic has had severe negative impacts on economies, businesses and societies, governments have been forced to take forceful measures. This brief has placed a spotlight on the fact that 73 countries have implemented lockdown measures while several countries have proceeded to implement local measures. Moreover, in some countries, defense mechanisms have also been activated to enforce the lockdowns. For instance Greece and England have extended their strict two-month lockdown measures as well as France. And yet, the virus continues to spread despite these forceful measures. The UN stresses that the global response has not been uniform and the disjointed responses of various states and / or regions are inefficient in the fight against the pandemic.²⁾The UN (2020) COVID-19: Reaffirming State-People Governance Relationships. UN/DESA Policy Brief #75, https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/un-desa-policy-brief-75-covid-19-reaffirming-state-people-governance-relationships/. Accessed on 17 October 2020 In parallel with this view, the OECD also asserts that the regional and local impact of the pandemic is highly heterogeneous, which has a strong territorial dimension. According to these document(s), the efforts of subnational governments – regions and municipalities – ought to be coordinated, and existing multi-level governance bodies ought to be introduced, activated and reoriented. At that point the critical role of inclusive and effective governance, in which the relationship between state and people is strengthened both at a local and national level, has been suggested.³⁾OECD (2020) the Territorial Impact of COVID-19: Managing the Crisis Across Levels of Government, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-territorial-impact-of-covid-19-managing-the-crisis-across-levels-of-government_d3e314e1-en.html. Accessed on 17 October 2020

Governance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

While terms such as populism and isolationism have been profoundly discussed during the pandemic,⁴⁾Katsambekis, Giorgos et al. (2020) Populism and the Pandemic: A Collaborative Report. POPULISMUS Interventions No.7 the term “vulnerability”, which calls for global and collective responses, has also been underpinned. This process has highlighted the significance of assessing different governance models in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. Based upon six essentials, the Council of Europe has suggested its members to follow 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance which requires leadership, innovation and adaptability while responding to the pandemic.⁵⁾Council of Europe, Democratic Governance and COVID-19, https://rm.coe.int/12-principles-brochure-final/1680741931. Accessed on 13 October 2020 Besides, the OECD has also emphasized the significance of good governance as this viral outbreak has caused great economic and social repercussions worldwide. However, ensuring good governance is a tough process necessitating devotion of all actors to a common mission and vision at all levels. In parallel to this view, a comprehensive study has been initiated by OECD and international policy responses for a sustainable recovery are examined in detail under the topics of public trust; digital government and data; risk governance and crisis management; regulation; public sector innovation; open government and public communication; public integrity; budgeting and public management; countering illicit trade; infrastructure and procurement; diversity and inclusion; evidence-based policy making and evaluation; and policy coherence and coordination.⁶⁾OECD (2020) Evidence-Based Policy Responses for A Sustainable Recovery,https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/oecd-policy-responses-to-coronavirus-covid-19_5b0fd8cd-en. Accessed on 13 October 2020

Reinforcing Governance in the Arctic

The Arctic, which is comprised of a uniquely fragile environment and vulnerable communities, requires special attention during COVID-19 health crisis. In addition to the effects of human-induced climate change and the alarming rate of melting sea ice and loss of glacier mass, the resilience of the Arctic communities has seriously been threatened by the pandemic. While the Arctic regions of Russia (Murmansk being the fifth most affected region)⁷⁾Danilov P B (2020), COVID-19 in the Arctic: Over 20,000 new cases in 48 hours in Russia. High North News, 4 May, https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/covid-19-arctic-over-20000-new-cases-48-hours-russia.Accessed on 10 October 2020 has been experiencing a sharp increase in infection, researchers have pointed out that ancient cultures and languages are also threatened since COVID-19 poses a serious threat to older generations in the region.⁸⁾Devyatkin P (2020), Vulnerable communities: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Indigenous People in the Russian Arctic?. The Arctic Institute, 10 December, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/vulnerable-communities-covid-19-pandemic-indigenous-people-russian-arctic/. Accessed on 3 January 2021 Moreover, Arctic economies have experienced enormous slowdown. For instance, the Norwegian economy has changed radically due to tumbling oil prices and uncertainty in global markets.⁹⁾Tsiouvalas A (2020), How Will COVID-19 Impact the Future of Norway’s Nussir Mine?. The Arctic Institute, 17 September, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/covid-19-impact-future-norway-nussir-mine/. Accessed on 13 October 2020 The tourism sector has also been heavily affected in regions such as Greenland and Svalbard. If the lockdowns and travel cancellations continue, layoffs and bankruptcies are expected in the Arctic travel and tourism sectors. Last but not least, travel restrictions have negative impacts on the physical and mental health of Indigenous people since they like to gather and spend time together. And yet, they are even more isolated and events such as the Arctic Winter Games are on pause because of travel restrictions.¹⁰⁾Tsui E (2020). Freezing out our southern neighbours: COVID-19 travel restrictions in Canada’s Arctic. The Arctic Institute, 21 July, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/freezing-out-southern-neighbours-covid-19-travel-restrictions-canada-arctic/. Accessed on 3 January 2021

A briefing document prepared by the Arctic Council for the Senior Arctic Officials emphasizes the importance of governance in the section on “knowledge gaps and areas for potential action”. Apart from short-, medium-, and longer-term measures to be taken by the senior officials, this document highlights the necessity to develop more comprehensive governance models at all levels. Access to acute medical and nursing care across the region(?) is said to be insufficient, and a limited number of respirators and isolation rooms pose additional problems. These conditions affect resilience and make Northern communities at risk even more vulnerable. Planning transportation logistics in remote Arctic regions areas is also pointed out as a topic which necessitates national and multinational governance.¹¹⁾Arctic Council (2020), Covid-19 in the Arctic: Briefing Document for Senior Arctic Officials. 24-25 June, https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/bitstream/handle/11374/2473/COVID-19-in-the-Arctic-Briefing-to-SAOs_For-Public-Release.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y. Accessed on 17 October 2020

Based upon these evaluations, The Arctic Council has selected nine main themes to improve resilience within Arctic communities:

• Youth Leadership
• Food Security
• Energy
• Health 
• Connectivity
• Gender
• Socio-Ecological Resilience
• Infrastructure
• Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Systems.¹²⁾The Arctic Council (2020) The Arctic Resilience Forum, 7 October, https://arctic-council.org/news/virtual-arctic-resilience-forum-launches-in-october/.Accessed on 1 October 2020

As such, an efficient governance process pertaining to the Arctic, in which the full participation of all Arctic states as well as Indigenous communities is guaranteed, is essential to implement the resilience strategies effectively. Furthermore, the emerging actors (i.e. South Korea, China and India), which accelerate scientific and social cooperation across the region, hold potential to determine the nexus between science diplomacy and geopolitics. As the non-Arctic states have been accepted as observers within the Arctic Council, a more complicated and many-sided diplomatic system has emerged involving scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations, media and the network of regulators alongside governments. Considering the diversity of the actors, the OECD’s comprehensive governance framework could be highly suitable for ensuring sustainable recovery and development in the wake of the pandemic, since the main emphasis is both on the resilience and active participation of the parties. However, it should be taken into account that good governance is based upon a number of pillars, and each of them necessitates extensive research. Governance types such as sustainability governance, risk governance, and integrity governance especially become prominent for the Arctic case.

The Role of Science

Last but not least, as a source of soft power, science interacts with traditional diplomacy, public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy at different levels. Since scientists are more visible than ever during the pandemic, this situation presents them a golden opportunity to engage closely with the public. In the past, there have been several examples of how scientists from different nations collaborated against global challenges. One of the most outstanding examples is the case of Montreal Protocol (the global ban on chemical substances damaging ozone layer), in which scientists and diplomats worked together in spite of the threatening atmosphere of the Cold War in 1987. In return, NASA published the first substantial results of ozone hole recovery in 2018.¹³⁾Strahan S E & Douglass A R (2018) Decline in Antarctic Ozone Depletion and Lower Stratospheric Chlorine Determined from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Observations. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(1).

Even when political relations are strained, international scientific networks can diffuse tensions and strengthen trust. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world experienced several outbreaks such as SARS and Ebola. These outbreaks were brought under control thanks to the multilateral actions of various states. From this point of view, science diplomacy, which is defined as “the use of science to prevent conflicts and crises, underpin policy making, and improve international relations in conflict areas where the universal language of science can open new channels of communication and build trust”¹⁴⁾European Commission (2016) Open Innovation, Open Science, Open to the World- A Vision for Europe. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3213b335-1cbc-11e6-ba9a-01aa75ed71a1. Accessed on 13 October 2020 has become vital as the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

Consequently, rather than fragmented and / or individual initiatives, COVID-19 pandemic can be brought under control by the multilateral actions of various states. Since an efficient governance process pertaining to the Arctic necessitates full participation of all Arctic states as well as Indigenous communities, the Arctic Council becomes prominent to formulate new resilience strategies. As long as the significance of scientific knowledge, values and expertise is promoted to the public and the governments, science diplomacy based upon scientific governance can become the key for the unification of the resilience efforts towards the Arctic.

Ebru Caymaz is an assistant professor from Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey. Her first PhD is in the field of Business Administration and she has mainly concentrated on sustainable development. In order to conduct further studies uniting the security issues with the sustainable development in the Arctic, she has currently been attending her 2nd PhD lectures at National Defense University, Department of Strategy and Security Studies.