The Political Forum

Hannele Pokka & Esko Riepula

The hosts, Lapland's Governor and the University's Rector opened this by invitation-only conference with short welcoming speeches.

Governor Hannele Pokka described the previous evening's river-boat ride as an introduction to the Arctic environment. Dr. Esko Riepula welcomed participants to the splendid new Arktikum building, the forum for this exchange between political, business, and research leaders about sustainable economics, sustainable environments, and sustainable communities.

Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen made a major statement about the need for a northern dimension in European policy. He emphasized that Finland, in becoming more aware of its own northern dimension, realizes the need for EU to develop its northern dimension. This was diplomatically argued in two respects. The first, that Finland fully supports the EU's strong initiatives to strengthen its Mediterranean, or southern, dimension, and thus, thinks it is likewise only fair and reasonable that EU see a similar balancing logic in its policy for a northern dimension. The second, that Finland will be emphasizing this perspective when it takes over the Presidency of the European Union in 1999. That this in turn would and should make EU more strongly involved in the Arctic Council, an obvious outcome of this orientation. In effect, this EU-related chain of reasoning was what was most talked about in the lobbies afterwards; Finland was giving EU advance warning of it's intentions.

All northern areas, Lipponen said, have scarce populations, harsh climates and resource riches. These common factors create opportunities but they are also associated with serious problems. The addition of Finnish and Swedish forests to the EU economy means that there are now 3 million workers in this European sector. At the same time, the environmental, economic, and social problems in the Russian parts of the Barents region were all too obvious. The region needs investment in roads, Baltic harbours, and telecommunications. Finland will respond to these needs, but it will always be mindful of its national and regional interests.

The guiding principle must be that all economic activity must be sustainable. Cooperation on nuclear safety is not enough. Faulty plants must be repaired or shut down. Finland supports a review of environmental cooperation initiatives between Russia and the European Union. To close the social gap between Russia and Europe, we need investments in health, housing, more student exchanges, the rule of law, protection of human rights, in short, a better coordinated policy with clear priorities.

The main forums for these discussions are: The Council of Baltic Sea States, The Barents Council, The Barents Euro-Arctic Council, The Arctic Council, The Baltic Sea Prime Minister's a task force on organized crime.

A comprehensive EU program is needed. The Arctic Council is a new forum that needs to build on the success of the AEPS initiative and arrangements like that between Dartmouth College and the University of Lapland.

Financing cooperation should be the job of national governments; separate funds should be directed to the northern regions; funding should be better coordinated with international agencies. The EU must become more active in this area. We need a regional approach to supplement national polices because one billion dollars (ECUs) does not go very far.

Iceland Air has opened a direct route to Helsinki. Things are moving. Finland will become the business centre for the region and create global opportunities.

The EU must play a larger role in the Barents Region.

Andre Kozyrev (former Russian Foreign Minister, a godfather of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region Cooperation, member for Murmansk of Russian Duma used his excellent English to be both charming and light. "Please don't misunderstand when they say I am a godfather of the Barents Region... I will follow the usual procedure for former government officials by trying to take credit for the good things done by others and blame others for the bad." Thousands in Murmansk are now involved in contacts throughout the Barents Region. Russia has ceased to call for 100% foreign financing of projects and is now more realistic. We need more demonstration projects, more activity from INTEREG. Russian Oblasts can see the great potential in regional arrangements.

If the reform process had not stalled in the last two years, there might be more economic growth. We need more time to make the Barents dreams a reality. In Murmansk it is cold, but remember, in Yakutsk it is much colder.

Kozyrev developed a clear distinction in the way that Barents collaboration was working. The literally thousands of increased contacts between individuals and between small groups, whether businessmen, students, researchers, local officials, sports teams, and so on—in other words, the processes of civility—were concrete evidence that impressed him deeply. This was at the day-to-day level, where most of the real hard work is being done, and where the collaboration appears to be making a real impact. It is at the higher levels that things are going slowly: absurdly complex tax laws, corruption, poor transborder transportation corridors, immigration policies, and so on.

Thorvold Stoltenberg (former Norwegian foreign minister, Ambassador to Denmark) agreed that we need cooperation, and patience, yes, but we also need a conference like this to draw the attention of politicians and the media. All of us involved have to see both the hopes and the inevitable disappointments.

Taking advantage of his status as one of the godfathers of the Barents cooperation, he gave his personal impression of what the early Barents efforts were about. "Let me try to put the Barents Region into perspective," he said. The long-term context was the objective of peace and stability. After the Berlin Wall came down, we had sterile moments. What could I tell my grandchildren?" Do we look north for possibilities and opportunities? Should we try to contribute to a new international order, without the usual war. Remember: the Barents, the Baltic and the Balkans have been the scenes of violence and battles throughout European history. This we must change. We must avoid having a hunger curtain replace the Iron Curtain from the Barents to the Balkans. We need to see the Barents Region in the global context.

Margaretha af Ugglas (former Swedish Foreign Minister) recalled Lapland Governor Lassinantti introducing her as a young MP to the northern perspective. She made a distinction between the Baltic Region, where the national level of interaction is most important, and the Barents Region, where the interaction is more between the sub-regions of each country. She also emphasized above all the importance of NW Russia.

Paavo Vayrynen, (MEP) claimed that the problem with the Barents Region is mostly Moscow. He also pointed out the opportunity for Finland in having the Presidency of the EU in 1999 and added that Finland will also have the Secretariat of the Barents Council.

Timo Summa (Director General, European Commission, DG IA) reminded the conference that cross-border instruments are the slowest instruments available.

Pentti Malkki (Director, Finnish Institute of Marine Research) outlined a science policy agenda for the Barents Region. He based his agenda on an analysis of what we know and do not know. We have the AMAP overview.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that humans are influencing the environment, for example winter temperatures are up. This has implications for social sciences, human services, and health programs. The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) now advises the Arctic Council. Can we have global climate change and sustainable development? Can we forge cross-sectoral links between the Calotte Academy and the Northern Forum Academy. Do we need a Northern Journal, an international scientific network?

Speakers included Jaakko Ihamoutila (Chairman & CEO, Nest Oy), Anders Sundstrom (Minister of Industry, Sweden), Boris Nitikin (RAO Gazprom), Fred Grasso (Russian Development ENRON Capital & Trade), Mikko Hyytiainen (Vice President Marketing, ABB Oy), I.A. Blatov (AO-GMK), Annti Potila (President & CEO, Finnair Oy), Tormod Hermanses (CEO, Telnor AS, Norway).

A reception hosted by Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Lappia House was followed by dinner at the Hotel Pohjanhovi.

Northern Research—Arctic Climate, Natural Resources, Environmental Challenges, Economy, Technology, Indigenous Peoples, Institutions and Northern Policy

Olli Ojala (Director General, Ministry of Environment, Finland International Affairs Unit) surveyed Environmental Actions in the Barents Region. The Barents Region is a region with numerous possibilities, however we must not be blind to the potential for damaging effects in southern-based policies towards the north. Strategies of sustainability must be based on realities not dreams. We need political leadership.

The Barents Region has the biggest concentration of radioactive materials. We have airborne pollutants and aquatic pollution both. We have 50 projects of technical assistance, a regional environmental committee, and our main priorities are Northwest Russia and cross-border cooperation. Grant funding tends to lower the threshold of public financing. Even basic drinking water is not available everywhere. Environmental work is frustrated by limited budgets. Both the Nordic Investment Board and the Nordic Economic Fund are vehicles for cooperation. And, one year ago, the Arctic Council was created; we need to build a connection between the Barents Region and the Arctic Council.

Olav S. Stokke's (Research Director, Fridtjof Nansen Institute) topic was The Regional Dynamics for Protection of the Marine Environment. He emphasized: that the marine dumping of nuclear wastes should be an urgent priority for the Barents Region, that the Barents Region is also a set of bilateral relationships, and that environmental issues require linkages to bilateral, regional, European and international processes.

Professor Manfred Lange (University of Munster, former Director of the Arctic Centre) showed slides to illustrate his talk about Global Changes and Global Change Impacts in the Arctic: New Challenges for The Barents Region.

Lange argued that the Arctic is particularly prone to rapid climate change. He has modelled two scenarios of forest growth: one in the current climate and the other with the predicted changes in climate. He also referred to the International Arctic Science Committee-supported Barents Sea Impact Study, or BASIS, a broadly interdisciplinary research programme that will take into account the interactions between national and social systems.

Lassi Heininen (Senior Scientist, Arctic Centre) compared the policies of the Arctic nations. "Nations, regions and co-operative forums may all be in conflict, Heininen said. "We need a northern policy for Europe." Significantly, he noted the importance that Norway traditionally, ascribes to the Barents Sea, to the point that it is even considered by some to be a Norwegian Sea. Although his text may contain more detail, the spoken version of Heininen's presentation devoted little time to Canadian policy.

Pekka Aikio, (President of the Sami Parliament in Finland) provided a gentle reminder not to ignore Sami interests in debates about the Barents region. He said the Sami are an indigenous people and who have made sustainable use of the Arctic's renewable resources for thousands of years. However, the Sami lack the political power to influence development decisions.

They suffer oppression but still the Sami culture is flourishing. Lapp villages comprise the units of Sami self-government. Legal arguments about Sami rights go back to the Lapp Codicil of 1751—an annex to a border agreement between Sweden and Finland. This codicil still has some weight in reindeer herding questions between Sweden and Finland. Nowadays, the Sami invoke international covenants on indigenous peoples, UN declarations, and arguments about land rights.

Oran Young (Director, Institute of Arctic Studies, Dartmouth College) discussed a range of Arctic issues, the variety of structures emerging to deal with them, and offered a model for appropriate arrangements in his paper: International Regimes for Achieving Sustainable Development.

This struck several attendees as a very useful proposal, although one researcher called the exercise mere typology.

In general, The Barents Region Today—Dreams and Realities canvassed both the largely Nordic dreams for the region and the harsh reality of the limits to effective Russian participation. As the organizers hoped, the conference certainly raised the political profile of the Barents Region, with Prime Minister Lipponen's call for a northern dimension to EU policy generating much comment. Previous conferences I have attended have hinted that the Barents Region might be a somewhat artificial concept, there being no regional economy, common culture, or secure transportation links between the Nordic north and the Russian North West. However, this notion surfaced only occasionally at this conference and Thorvold Stoltenberg effectively dealt with this criticism by putting the Barents Region initiative into a historical and strategic context.

Although Russian participants might think it focused excessively on the problems of lawlessness and environmental degradation in their country, the Business Forum must also be counted a considerable success. It was so well attended that on the second day of the conference the Research Forum was forced to trade venues with the Business Forum because that the latter event had run out of space. As a result the first speaker in the Research Forum had to begin his presentation in one room, then begin again in another. Nevertheless, the content of the research forum probably has the greatest relevance for Canadian observers interested in Arctic issues. Participation was made easy by the fact that all proceedings were in English—even the speeches of the politicians. However not all the politicians had the fluency or vocabulary of Lipponen or Stoltenberg, so some of the subtleties of their messages may have been lost. One also noted the extent to which North America discourse about Aboriginal Rights and self-government coloured the presentation by the Sami leader, Pekka Aikio.

Throughout, the mood of quiet optimism about this project was evident. My only disconcerting moment came when John Pearce of the Canadian Embassy complained to Dr. Richard Langlais and I about our articles which he thought criticized the Canadian government. This was a quite bizarre since the articles (both of which were published by the Arctic Centre in time for the Barents Region Conference) were almost embarrassingly pro-Canadian.

At Sunday's pre-conference meeting of the ad hoc research group, Pentti Malkki, (Director, Finnish Institute of Marine Research) suggested that the researchers present ought to try framing a research agenda, and advised that his speech to the conference would outline such a plan. Lassi Heininen (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland) identified a role for his group in systematically following up this idea. Given the proliferation of conferences on the Arctic environment, indigenous development issues, and intergovernmental contacts. Tony Penikett (CARC) suggested that, to be useful from here on, the work of entities like the Arctic Centre, like bodies in North America, and possibly CARC, might need to be more consciously cross-sectoral. Oran Young (Institute of Arctic Studies, Dartmouth) strongly supported this position. Lassi Heininen later picked up on this theme in his closing remarks to the conference.

The Arctic Centre will publish the conference proceedings this fall.

BEARing the European North: the Northern Dimension and Alternative Scenarios," Edited by Lassi Heininen & Richard Langlais, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, 1997 (ISBN 951-634-563-8).