Tough fight for Arctic Resources

The Arctic areas were in focus at a well-attended seminar in the Swedish Parliament on Wednesday evening, reports the Nordic Council homepage. The seminar named Arctic Focus was organised by the Swedish delegation to the Nordic Council, Nordic Focus and the Swedish Committee for the International Polar Year in conjunction with the Nordic Council's January meetings in Stockholm.

The seminar gave the participants the impression that the fight for natural resources in the Arctic is getting tougher. It underlines the need for clearer rules for example for oil extraction.

It is principally the consequences of global warming, including the melting of the ice, which is creating Arctic headlines. However, there are other alarming development trends, for example, human activities in the region that can certainly be associated with climate change. Rising energy prices have intensified the hunt for new deposits. The deposits will also be much easier to reach because of the climate changes - the Arctic has become more accessible today.

"New technology also makes it easier to get to the natural resources. There are ecological and geopolitical risks in the Arctic. For these reasons agreement should be reached on the game rules for activities in the Arctic. For example, environmental standards should be drawn up," said Director Tomas Ries from the Institute of International Affairs in Stockholm.

Rune Fjellheim, Secretary General of the Arctic Council's Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat, said that the indigenous peoples are not sufficiently involved in the different projects. He pointed out that many are being compulsory transferred because of the hunt for energy resources.

Arctic expert Rasmus Ole Rasmussen from Nordregio recommended a more uniform Nordic attitude to the Arctic questions in international bodies, not least in the Arctic Council. Rasmussen also brought up the alarming demographic development in the Arctic. There are considerably fewer women than men and therefore there is a risk that the population will greatly dwindle.

The Arctic is a hot topic today, partly because of the International Polar Year 2007-2008 which is now being organised for the fourth time. The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers are very active in the region, amongst other things by granting millions to Arctic research and support of the indigenous peoples.