Norway Centre Stage in the Arctic, 14 December 2010

 “Norway Centre Stage in the Arctic”

It is a pleasure and honour for me to address this evening’s reception, especially because Norway is centre stage in Arctic developments. As an Arctic Ocean coastal state. And centre stage as a strong advocate of responsible and sustainable management of natural resources and living marine resources. Commercial opportunity is, indeed, great in this area so rich in resources and so exposed in its environmental and ecological vulnerability. 

The Climate Change Conference in Mexico was concluded against the backdrop of increasing global concern and need for global action. One visible and quite dramatic sign of climate change is the Arctic ice sheet is melting at an alarming rate, being reduced by an area more than one and a half times that of Japan per decade.

As the Arctic ice sheet is getting smaller and smaller, international interest in the Arctic is getting bigger and bigger.  The melting of Arctic ice opens new and long-term perspectives for exploiting huge reserves of oil and natural gas. More than a fifth of the yet-to-be-discovered reserves of oil and natural gas in the world could be found in the Arctic. State-of-the-art technology is called in this challenging and high-cost environment.

Melting of Arctic ice can also open new routes for maritime transport that will substantially shorten sailing routes between Asia and Europe. Shipping in the Arctic was a main theme in the Symposium earlier this afternoon. As shipping in Arctic was two months ago in Oslo at a symposium opened by Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He presented Norway’s Arctic policy and highlighted not least Norway’s lead role in developing a Polar Code in IMO, the International Maritime Organization.
 
Strategic Focus

The High North as a foremost area of strategic focus for the Government of Norway. Presence, activity and knowledge are key words in our High North strategy. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty and authority in the North in a credible and predictable way. Our policy is one of dialogue with the states that have interests in the region. It is a policy of strengthening institutionalized multilateral co-operation, such as that we have in the Arctic Council. Our policy underscores the importance of intensified co-operation with neighbouring Russia. 

After 40 years of negotiations, Norway and Russia agreed this year on a maritime delimitation line in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The agreement divides the former disputed area (175 000 km2) half the size of Japan, approximately fifty-fifty for our two countries. The agreement also includes provisions regarding co-operation in fisheries and petroleum activities.

Orderly Development

Norway is one of five Arctic coastal states surrounding the Arctic Ocean with rights and obligations with regard to our sea areas and continental shelves as coastal states have also elsewhere in the world in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This includes the exclusive right to explore for and exploit their natural resources.

These five Arctic Ocean coastal states are, in addition to Norway also Russia, the USA, Canada and Denmark, because of Greenland. They confirmed in the Ilulissat Declaration two years ago their commitment to the extensive international legal framework that applies to the Arctic Ocean and their commitment to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims. We exchange in on-going dialogue views on responsible management of resources in the areas under our national jurisdiction and scientific co-operation related to this.  
 
This Arctic coastal state dialogue does not replace or contradict the wider circumpolar co-operation in the Arctic Council, which we want to see strengthened as the international arena for discussions of Arctic issues. In addition to the five coastal states, the Arctic Council also includes Finland, Iceland and Sweden as well as Arctic indigenous communities. In the words of our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Arctic Council is “the obvious institution through which to shape more of the policy that we need for the Arctic area”. It is a policy-shaping, not decision-making organisation.

Co-operation with Japan

Norway supports Japan’s application for permanent observer status in the Arctic Council. We want to co-operate even more closely with Japan as you take active part in Arctic developments related to research, energy and shipping, not least because of what you can share in terms of Arctic and Antarctic research competence and activity. 

We have a vibrant bilateral co-operation in Arctic issues. Our Embassy here in Tokyo has  hosted several seminars on the Arctic over the past two years to encourage further contacts among Norwegian and Japanese experts with a view to strengthening our Arctic co-operation.

And it is in that spirit that I commend the Ocean Policy Research Foundation on hosting today’s International Symposium on Development of Natural Resources in the Arctic Areas. I am happy to see experts from Norway, Mr Dahle and Mr Tsudi, here to share their expertise and perspectives. And I am looking forward to our further exchanges this evening.