The future of the Arctic : black, grey or white?
Posted on the 18.10.2010 by Michel Brent
I am delighted to be able to tell our visitors that the symposium held by the IPF last week at the European Parliament on the future of the Arctic was a great success.
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Organised jointly by the IPF in conjunction with the Aspen Institute and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation at the European Parliament’s premises in Brussels, the Arctic Futures Symposium was held over two days on 14th and 15th October. The occasion brought together over a hundred experts from the USA, Europe (Germany, Denmark, France, Norway, Greece, etc.), Canada, Russia and Australia specialising in a wide range of disciplines. We were also honoured to welcome the following prominent individuals among our guests: Prince Albert II of Monaco, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the Vice President of the European Parliament, Isabelle Durant, and the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki.
Four workshops
Day one included four workshops: The Arctic Basin (Key environmental Management Approaches for the 21st Century), The Changing Arctic (Developing Economic Possibilities: Threat or Opportunity), Arctic Governance (Is the Existing Model Adequate for the 21st Century?), Arctic Research Needs and the Science-Policy Interface.
According to feedback from the delegates, the debates were genuinely enthralling because they were both open and filled with valuable information. The morning session saw discussion about the urgency involved in examining the huge problems associated with the future of the various areas in the Arctic, in particular with regard to the development of commercial and tourist-based maritime activities. It appears that if the increase in heavy commercial traffic is to be accommodated safely, we need to study the issue of search and rescue in view of the rapid development of tourist traffic made possible by the disappearance of ice in coastal zones during the summer. Also, the dialogue focused on discussions about preserving fragile ecosystems and the likelihood of the nations in the Arctic exercising their rights in relation to the mining and energy resources in the region, which are strategic elements for their development.
In the afternoon, discussions among the participants covered the issues of the melting ice in Greenland, existing treaties and the role of the Arctic Council in the overall management of the Arctic Ocean.
Over 200 delegates at the plenary session
On day two, reports were submitted as part of a general meeting (attended by over 200 delegates) after the political guests (Prince Albert II of Monaco, Herman Van Rompuy, Maria Damanaki and Isabelle Durant) had shared their views with the gathering about the various phases of the topics at hand.
Among the fine images presented by the speakers, I will simply mention the question put at the end of his address (at the same time implying the answer, of course) by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, who asked whether the future of the Arctic would be as black as coal, as grey as ash or as white as snow?
I would like to conclude this brief report by extending my sincere thanks to all of you who took part in this event through your direct collaboration, and to our honoured guests who have graced this symposium with their presence, as well as all of the members of the International Polar Foundation, who have made this discussion forum the outstanding and unequivocal success it has been: one more step towards better governance of the Arctic, which is the key element for the development of these regions and the equilibrium of the Earth’s ecosystems.
The second day of the symposium : the plenary session (click to enlarge)
© IPF
