Report

INTRODUCTION

Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament, led a Canadian delegation of two to the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (the Standing Committee) held in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, Norway, 3-6 June 2013. The delegation also included Mr. Dennis Bevington, Member of Parliament.  Ms. Shauna Troniak from the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament attended as Advisor to the delegation.

The Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (the Conference) is a parliamentary body comprising delegations appointed by the national parliaments of the eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United States of America) and the European Parliament. The Conference also includes Permanent Participants representing Indigenous peoples, as well as observers. The Conference meets every two years. The Tenth Conference was held in Akureyri, Iceland, 5-7 September 2012. The Eleventh Conference will be held in Whitehorse, Yukon, 9-11 September 2014.

The Conference adopts a statement with recommendations to the Arctic Council (the Council) and to the governments of the Arctic states and the European Commission. The Standing Committee closely monitors how governments implement the Conference Statement, and take new initiatives to further Arctic cooperation.[1]

Between conferences, Arctic parliamentary cooperation is facilitated by the Standing Committee,[2] which began its activities in 1994. The Conference and Standing Committee take initiatives to further Arctic cooperation, and act, in particular, as a parliamentary forum for issues relevant to the work of the Council. The Standing Committee takes part in the work of the Council as an observer.[3]

MEETING SUMMARY

The Standing Committee met in Longyearbyen on 3 June 2013 and in Ny-Ålesund on 4-5 June 2013. Items 5 to 7 in the following summary were discussed and decided upon in Ny‑Ålesund.  The draft minutes of the meetings are also attached to this report as Appendix 1.

1.    Presentation by the Governor of Svalbard

Vice Governor Lars Erik Alfheim provided an introduction to the region and to the work of the Governor of Svalbard.

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, situated between 74° to 81° north latitude. Spitsbergen is the largest and only inhabited island. Longyearbyen, the capital, is home to approximately 2100 people year-round; the other permanent settlements are Barentsburg (pop. 500), Ny-Ålesund (30) and Hornsund (5-10). The main economic activities in the region are coal mining, research and tourism.

The region has a unique legal status. The 1920 Svalbard Treaty (or Spitsbergen Treaty)[4] recognizes the “full and absolute sovereignty of Norway” over the archipelago (Art. 1), but the terms of the treaty govern the exercise of Norwegian sovereignty in several areas. For example, the treaty grants certain rights to the nationals of state parties[5] to reside in Svalbard and to undertake “maritime, industrial, mining and commercial operations”, subject to local laws and regulations (Art. 3). The treaty also provides that all taxes, dues and duties levied must only benefit Svalbard and generally not exceed what is required for the benefit and maintenance of the region (Art. 8). The treaty also requires Norway to protect Svalbard’s natural environment (Art. 2).

A complex combination of local, Norwegian and international law therefore applies in Svalbard. As noted previously, the treaty states that Norwegian and local laws apply to all commercial and industrial activities on the islands. Barentsburg, for example, is a coal mining settlement that is populated by Russian and Ukrainian nationals, operated by a Russian state-owned mining corporation, and is subject to Norwegian mining law.

Mr. Alfheim stated that the treaty applies within Svalbard’s territorial waters (12 nautical miles); past this maritime zone Norwegian law applies.

Most of Svalbard’s land mass (67%) is protected, though almost all of the land (99.6%) is open and accessible (except for certain polar bear habitats). Svalbard’s protected areas include 21 nature reserves (including 15 bird sanctuaries), 7 national parks and one geotope protection area.

Mr. Alfheim noted an increase in international fishing vessels around Svalbard at higher latitudes (up to 82° north) almost year-round. He expressed concern that debris from these vessels is being carried by the Gulf Stream and accumulating on the north coast of Svalbard.

Mr. Alfheim noted that Svalbard is located between the Northeast Passage and Northwest Passage. The region has already seen an increase in maritime traffic in recent years, and more traffic is anticipated as a result of greater access to these maritime routes. He stated that new and renewed environmental protection policies must be developed to address current and future increases in maritime traffic in the region.

In discussion with delegates, Mr. Alfheim noted that 10-15 large cruise ships, carrying up to around 5000 passengers each, arrive annually in Svalbard. He noted that the capacity to do search and rescue operations remains a concern, particularly with this increase in maritime traffic.  However, he suggested that the Search and Rescue Agreement signed by the Arctic Council member states is a promising start in addressing the issue. Currently, six planes and two helicopters are used in rescue operations in Svalbard, along with one boat that is 24 hours away. About 80 search and rescue operations are conducted in Svalbard annually (or 1-2 per week).

Mr. Alfheim also noted the lack of complete and detailed maps of the region. A ship monitoring program using the satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) is currently being tested in Svalbard.

2.    Report from the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna

The Chair of the Standing Committee, Mr. Høglund, provided a brief report to the Committee from the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting held in Kiruna on 15 May 2013. He noted that six new states were granted observer status at the Arctic Council. The application of the European Union (EU) for observer status was put on hold pending the resolution of certain concerns of the member states, which are addressed in a letter by the President of the European Commission. He noted that Greenland had boycotted the Kiruna meeting over concerns about its role and opportunities for participation in various Arctic council meetings.

The Chair further noted that Canada formally took over the chairmanship from Sweden at the Kiruna meeting, and the Arctic Council member states finalized two documents – Kiruna Declaration and Vision for the Arctic[6]. Mr. Høglund stated that these documents provide a good foundation for action through the current chairmanship. In addition, member states signed a binding agreement on oil spill preparedness and response.  This agreement, he stated, represents an important first step toward improved cooperation among Arctic states on this issue.

The delegate from Greenland, Ms. Olsvig, explained that the government of Greenland had chosen to boycott the Kiruna meeting as it was felt that a narrow interpretation of the Council’s rules of procedure under Sweden’s chairmanship had reduced the role of Greenland and the Faroe Islands at various Arctic Council meetings. She asked that the Standing Committee endorse a statement addressing the boycott and affirming the inclusive character of the Arctic Council.

The Standing Committee adopted such a statement at its meeting in Ny-Ålesund on 5 June 2013, the text of which is included in the draft minutes of this meeting (attached to this report as Appendix 1).

The delegate from the EU, Mr. Gallagher, noted with approval the Council’s decision to provisionally accept the EU as an observer pending the resolution of member states’ concerns. He noted that the EU remains interested in furthering Arctic cooperation and contributes 20 million euros annually to Arctic research. He also noted the recent agreement between the EU, United States and Canada regarding cooperation in marine research (concluded on 24 May 2013).

A delegate from Canada, Mr. Leef, stated that discussions with the EU are progressing and the government of Canada remains confident that they will continue to progress well.

A delegate from Canada, Mr. Bevington, stated that a synopsis of speeches from the Kiruna meeting prepared by his office indicates that the environment remains the most significant issue at the Arctic Council.

3.    Conference in Whitehorse on 9-11 September 2014

The 11th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region will be held in Whitehorse, Yukon, on 9-11 September 2014.

A delegate from Canada, Mr  Leef, noted the ongoing work within the Canadian Parliament on the logistics and program for the Conference, and stated that the environment and impacts of climate change in the Arctic would be important topics to address.

Delegates discussed other possible topics for discussion at the Conference. These included:

·         Environmental, social and cultural impact assessments and the participation of local people in these processes;

·         The inclusion of local people and incorporation of traditional knowledge in decision-making processes;

·         Follow-up on the Standing Committee’s previous work on governance at the Arctic Council; and

·         Capacity building for economic and social development, including issues surrounding education and cooperation between local authorities and businesses.

4.    Economic Development and Capacity Building in the North

At the previous meeting of the Standing Committee in Washington, D.C., in March 2013, delegates agreed to draft a report focusing on economic development and capacity building in the North. Delegates reviewed a first draft of this paper and made the following suggestions for issues to be addressed within its scope:

·         Ensuring local people benefit from development and participate in decisions regarding the use of local resources;

·         A human rights approach to development (included in the Standing Committee’s 2012 Conference Statement);

·         Building a “democratic infrastructure” (i.e. institutions to support the participation of local people in decision-making);

·         Corporate social responsibility, including ongoing work under the United Nations Global Compact to develop guidelines for business based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

·         Student exchanges and mobility programs and initiatives of the University of the Arctic;

·         Cost of living in the North, and connections between cost of living and community sustainability; and

·         The role of gender and gender-based analysis (to build on discussions held at the 2012 Conference in Akureyri).

The Standing Committee agreed to review a second draft of the paper at its next meeting in Murmansk, Russian Federation, 18-20 September 2013.

5.    Future Leadership of SCPAR

The Chair of the Standing Committee, Mr. Høglund, noted that three delegates were in discussion for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair: the delegate from Greenland, Ms. Olsvig; and the delegates from Canada, Mr  Leef and Mr. Bevington. The Chair stated that he had advised the Canadian delegation to select one candidate for consideration for the position of Chair or Vice Chair.

Mr. Leef stated his intention to withdraw his name for the position of Chair and maintain his candidacy for the position of Vice Chair.

Delegates elected Ms. Olsvig as Chair of the Standing Committee. The decision will take effect following the next meeting of the Standing Committee in Murmansk, 18-20 September 2013. The election of the Vice Chair was postponed to the next meeting in Murmansk. Delegates agreed that Ms. Olsvig will act as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee up to that meeting.

6.    Status of the Work of SCPAR

Delegates provided updates on developments in relation to Arctic issues in their respective countries. Further details on these presentations are provided in the minutes of the meeting (attached as Appendix 1).

The delegation from Canada informed the Standing Committee of a May 2013 report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development entitled “Canada and the Arctic Council: An Agenda for Regional Leadership.”[7]

7.    Next meeting of the Standing Committee

The next meeting of the Standing Committee will be held in Murmansk, Russian Federation, 18-20 September 2013.

Briefings in Ny-Ålesund

On 5 June, delegates toured Ny-Ålesund, an international scientific research community approximately 100 km northwest of Longyearbyen. Members of the delegation visited and were briefed on the work undertaken at the Norwegian Mapping Authority Observatory[8], the Kings Bay Marine Laboratory,[9] and the joint French-German Arctic Research Base “AWIPEV.”[10]

The director of the research community, Jon Erik Nygaard, provided an overview of the community and its history. Ny-Ålesund was established as a permanent settlement in 1916, and was primarily a coal mining community until the early 1960s. Following an accident in 1962 in which 21 miners perished, the Norwegian government closed the mine and began transitioning the community toward scientific research activities.[11]  Today, ten states maintain permanent research facilities in Ny-Ålesund; the most recent of which to open was the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research in 2008.[12]

The community has a year-round population of 35, and may accommodate up to 180 in the summer months. Mr. Nygaard noted that the community is largely supplied by ships that port in its harbour from May to September, and largely self-funded through rental income, a harbour tax levied on cruise ships and the community store. There are several challenges to the sustainable functioning of the community, he noted, including the periodic influx of tourists from the large cruise ships that port in the community in the summer months. Providing and maintaining sufficient infrastructure to support research activities also remains an ongoing challenge. To provide sufficient network capacity, for example, the Norwegian government is currently funding a project to run 150-200 km of sub-sea fibre optic cables from Longyearbyen, at an estimated cost of around 120 million DKK (22 million CAD).

 

Respectfully submitted,