Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Sweden’s National Arctic approach

and Arctic Council perspectives

Mikael Anzén

Deputy Director, MFA, Sweden

Twitter: SDWG_Chair

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

What defines the Arctic?

• The area above the Arctic circle, land but mainly waters

• Not one Arctic but many different Arctic regions

• The Arctic sea is mostly covered with ice• 5 costal states around the Arctic Sea• Regulated through UNCLOS and national

rules • Approximately 4 million people living in

the Arctic• Remote area, huge distances, cold, dark,

ice and snow

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Sweden in the Arctic I

• ”Landlocked” Arctic country• Baltic Sea – Arctic conditions – ice-

breaker knowledge• Sweden has a long Arctic presence,

Nordenskiöld first to sail through Northern Sea Route 1870

• Important Arctic research nation• Facilities such as station Abisko, ice-

breakers Ymer & Oden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Sweden in the Arctic II

• Knowledgebase and dynamic Arctic nation

• Swedish iron ore 90% of EU’s production (+ rare earth elements)

• Europe’s only indigenous peoples – Sami• Member of the European Union• Member of the Arctic Council• Member of the Barents Euro-Arctic

Council

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

The Arctic is hot – new drivers• The temperature rise in the Arctic is

double as much as the global average. • 2012 all time low of summer ice in the

Arctic. • No summer ice in the Arctic within 30-40

years.

• New challenges and opportunities for the environment, for peoples, for businesses and a new area for geopolitics.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

New Sea routesin the Arctic

• The Northern Sea Route

• The North-West passage

• Central Arctic Shipping route?

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Business projections – not linear

• Huge source of raw material• Highly dependent on world market

price• Difficult operations• Lack of infrastructure• Expensive• At sea – ice conditions constantly

changing• High risk – insurance market

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Barents Council vs. Arctic Council• Founded in 1993 • Regional political project• 2 year rotating

chairmanship • 4 + 3 members (EU)• Secretariat in Kirkenes • 8 Working Groups• Indigenous Peoples in WG• Bottom-up approach• Regional cooperation

• Founded in 1996 • Environmental

cooperation• 2 year rotating

chairmanship • 8 members (US, Canada)• Secretariat in Tromsö• 6 Working Groups• 6 Indigenous Peoples

Org• Top–down approach• ”High-politics”

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Swedish Arctic Policy• Climate and Environment • Strengthening Swedish Arctic research • Sustainable Economic Development• Humans living conditions in the Arctic• Ongoing projects in the Arctic Council and

the Barents Euro-Arctic Council• Keep the Arctic as an area of low tension• Strengthen regional cooperation• Strengthen bilateral cooperation

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Observers to the Arctic Council• 12 states(France, Germany, Netherlands,

Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India)

• The EU (?)• 9 inter-governmental organizations• 11 non-governmental organizations

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Chairs of the Arctic Council

• Sweden Chair 2011-2013• Ministerial meeting in Kiruna May

2013 Adoption of Kiruna Declaration and

Kiruna Vision• Canada 2013-2015 Ministerial meeting end of April 2015• US 2015-2017

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Results

• A stronger Arctic Council • Standing Secretariat in Tromsö and a

director• strategic communication strategy • Work on reducing black carbon and

methane emissions • New observers • Agreement on Preparedness and

Response to Marine Oil Pollution

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Results

• CSR in the Arctic• Arctic Resilience • Arctic Biodiversity Assessment • Arctic Ocean Acidification • Arctic Ocean Review • Meeting of Environment ministers

Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sweden

Conclusions

• Not one Arctic but many different regions in the Arctic

• Sweden is a knowledge-based and dynamic Arctic nation

• Significant co-operation in the Arctic• Optimism vs. realism in business• Increasing importance of the Arctic

Council - from ”decision shaping forum” to a ”decision making organization”