The International Polar Year 2032–2033
The International Polar Year facilitates scientific cooperation between countries with interests in the polar regions, in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The research promise previously achieved through previous International Polar Years has been of enormous importance in advancing knowledge about, for example, polar ecosystems, climate change, and glacier dynamics.
It is the government that has given its approval for Norwegian participation in the fifth International Polar Year (IPY), which is scheduled for 2032–2033. This is in line with Norway’s management responsibility over Norwegian territory and strategic interest in polar regions.
Arctic Council
A ministerial conference in 1991 laid the foundation for expanded regional environmental cooperation, and in 1996 the Arctic Council was established. Its members are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark/Greenland, Iceland, the United States, Canada and Russia, as well as representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic.
This regional cooperation organization is a forum for cooperation on the full range of topics related to sustainable development, from economics and the environment to how best to meet the social needs of the population in the highlands.
An overarching objective for the work of the Arctic Council is therefore sustainable development. Norway will work to ensure that the Council becomes a central forum for the further development of Arctic environmental cooperation, and to ensure that further economic development in the North takes place within the framework set by nature.
Six work groups make up the Arctic Council’s environmental cooperation:
- AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) monitors the state of the Arctic environment
- ACAP (Arctic Contaminants Action Programme) works to reduce emissions and spread of pollution in the Arctic
- PAME (Protection of Arctic Marine Environment) works to protect the marine environment in the Arctic
- CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) will contribute to preserving Arctic flora and fauna, their diversity and habitats
- EPPR (Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response) is a crisis management programme for environmental disasters in the Arctic
- SDWG (Sustainable Development Working Group) will promote sustainable economy, culture and health in the Arctic
ACIA and NorACIA
The Arctic Council has, through the AMAP and CAFF working groups, and in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), carried out a comprehensive analysis of climate change in the Arctic; «Arctic Climate Impact Assessment» (ACIA).
ACIA looks at both the impacts on the High North and the rest of the world. The work took place in the period 2001-2004, and the study area included Northern Norway and Svalbard with associated sea areas.
NorACIA is ACIA’s national program in Norway, and has followed up on the recommendations from the ACIA work.
Cooperation with China
In the fall of 2010, China and Norway signed a cooperation agreement on polar research between the Polar Research Institute of China and the Norwegian Polar Institute. The Norwegian-Chinese research cooperation on polar research includes cooperation on, among other things, research on glaciers, sea ice and the facilitation of research expeditions in the Arctic. Through the agreement, which is valid until 2015, the two institutes commit to strengthening communication on the relevant topics and to exchanging information with each other.
The International Polar Bear Agreement
Isbjørn behandles forskjellig fra andre bjørner fordi forvaltningen av arten styres av en internasjonal overnskomst for bevaring av isbjørn – «isbjørnavtalen» – som ble undertegnet i Oslo i 1973. I henhold til avtalen forplikter Norge og de øvrige fire samarbeidspartene Canada, USA, Danmark og Russland seg til å treffe egnede tiltak for å beskytte de økosystemer isbjørnen er en del av.
Gjennom forumet IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) møtes isbjørnspesialister fra partslandene jevnlig for å diskutere forskning og forvaltning av isbjørnen i Arktis.
Spesiell oppmerksomhet vies isbjørnens livsmiljø, som hi og næringsområder og trekkvaner.
Landene skal, på basis av de best foreliggende vitenskapelige data, forvalte isbjørnbestanden på en måte som er god ut fra bevaringshensyn. Avtalen pålegger landene å gjennomføre nasjonale forskningsprogrammer, utveksle informasjon og koordinere forskningen.
Den internasjonale isbjørnavtalen er en av meget få eksisterende avtaler om arktisk miljøsamarbeid som omfatter flere land.
Polar bears are treated differently from other bears because the management of the species is governed by an international treaty for the conservation of polar bears – the “Polar Bear Agreement” – which was signed in Oslo in 1973. According to the agreement, Norway and the other four cooperating parties – Canada, the USA, Denmark and Russia – undertake to take appropriate measures to protect the ecosystems of which the polar bear is a part.
Through the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) forum, polar bear specialists from the contracting countries meet regularly to discuss research and management of polar bears in the Arctic. Special attention is paid to the polar bear’s habitat, such as dens and feeding areas and migratory habits.
The countries must, on the basis of the best available scientific data, manage the polar bear population in a way that is good from a conservation perspective. The agreement requires the countries to carry out national research programmes, exchange information and coordinate research.
The International Polar Bear Agreement is one of very few existing agreements on Arctic environmental cooperation that includes several countries.
Norwegian-Russian cooperation on the marine environment
Norway and Russia share a common border in the Barents Sea – and thus manage a holistic marine ecosystem. This means that the countries have mutual responsibility for preserving the environment and securing common populations of birds, fish and marine mammals that live in the sea area.
Before 2022, bilateral cooperation between Norway and Russia was carried out within the Norwegian-Russian Environmental Protection Commission, and in accordance with the environmental protection agreement between our two countries. In the commission, the parties met to discuss current environmental matters, and to adopt work programs prepared by environmental managers and researchers from both countries. The work program set the framework for projects within six themes that included the marine environment, biodiversity, pollution, cross-border cooperation, cultural heritage and radioactivity.
Due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, governmental cooperation between Norway and Russia has been reduced to a minimum and bilateral environmental cooperation has been suspended since 2022 until further notice.