The Future of Arctic Parliamentarian Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities

Parliamentary cooperation in the Arctic is at crossroads. Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine has caused Russia to be excluded from international cooperation in the Arctic. The parliamentary cooperation in SCPAR has had to be redefined due to the new situation, the cooperation in the Barents region as well, not to mention the Nordic cooperation where the Nordic Council has actively been working on mapping the fundamental needs for updates on the Nordic cooperation.

At the same time, the challenges in the Arctic region are as great as ever: the climate crisis in an imminent and ongoing threat in the region, geopolitically the Arctic is ever less longer a low-tension area, and the focus of attention is increasingly on the Arctic region due to undiscovered natural resources and the opening of new shipping routes.

Speakers:

Vilborg Ása Guðjónsdóttir, PhD Candidate, International Affairs at University of Iceland
Bryndís Haraldsdóttir, President of the Nordic Council
Aaja Chemnitz, Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region
Steinunn Thóra Árnadóttir, Vice Chair of the West Nordic Council.

Moderator: Sigurdur Olafsson, Senior Advisor, The Nordic Council