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Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities
Report: Finland’s presidency of the Artic Council in an era of transition and uncertainty

Government Communications Department
Publication date 14.2.2017 9.21 | Published in English on 15.2.2017 at 11.02
Press release 67/2017

Finland will assume the two-year presidency of the Arctic Council in May 2017. A report released today (14 February) provides scientific data in support of the preparations for the presidency, defines the priorities of Finland’s Arctic policy and offers a platform for public debate on current developments in the Arctic region.

The report states that Finland is taking the helm of the Arctic Council at a time when the general framework for Arctic policy is characterised by growing uncertainty, including a range of economic and security implications. For example, from an economic point of view, the future of the region’s hydrocarbon resources and sea routes appears less straightforward than before. Although Arctic cooperation and the international management system have proved resilient in the face of crisis, the future of this cooperation is increasingly hard to predict because of the strained relations between Western countries and Russia.

At the same time, the international management mechanisms are in a state of flux. Over time, the roles of the country holding the presidency of the Arctic Council and the Council itself have grown while external actors are showing increasing interest in the region and the Council. The active approach adopted by the Council has also given rise to a number of problems. It is being recognised that there are concerns and challenges related to the growing workload of the Council and the efficiency of its projects because the amount of work is increasing relative to the limited resources made available by the states and it is becoming more and more fragmented.

According to the report, one of the challenges facing Finland in its presidency is how to find a way to maintain the continuity and impact of the Council’s efforts. Moreover, the presiding country needs to stay alert and respond to the Arctic and global economic, political, legal and environmental developments taking place outside the Arctic Council.

The report examines the changes in the Arctic from a number of perspectives: the environment and environmental problems, social developments, political and geopolitical changes, economic development and new business opportunities. Additionally, it provides a description of the plans to respond to the region’s challenges through legal and political initiatives, focusing on the work of the Arctic Council. The report also analyses the significance of the presidency to Finland and what Finland should do to manage its presidency effectively.

The Arctic Council is a cooperation forum established by the governments of the eight Arctic states and indigenous peoples around the North Pole. Its mandate is to promote sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic by providing evidence-based information for public debate, issuing high-level political recommendations and facilitating the creation of international conventions.

The report was prepared by a consortium of researchers from the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE). The project is managed by the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland. The report was prepared as part of the implementation of the 2016 Government plan for analysis, assessment and research.

Report (in Finnish)

For more information on the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities, see tietokayttoon.fi

Inquiries: Director Timo Koivurova, Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, timo.koivurova(at)ulapland.fi or tel. +358 (0)40 551 9522

 
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