By: Shivangee Bhattacharya, Research Analyst, GSDN
In order to showcase special interest in the Artic, 2024’s Artic Security Conference became the platform to discuss and findings related to the security of that region. In the arising tension between Russia and Ukraine, the atomic security factors are becoming a point of discussion. The tension got escalated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The high north is observing major dialogues related to the increased military activities and instances of sabotage and provocation. The increased heat in the region is often the subject of nuanced research and policies related to it. In order to understand the situation, first it’s important to understand what the conference was about.
The conference took place at Litteraturhuset in Oslo on September 12-13, 2024. It was a two-day event referring to the agenda related to the security challenges in the region. The conference was delighted to have a series of speakers, which included the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, the head of the U.S. Coast Guard of Alaska, and also the head of Canada’s defence in the Arctic. The region is being governed under the Artic Council, which is an intergovernmental forum inculcating 8 countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the U.S.) with the given uprising tension in the half of the world, which does comprise the economics, military, and environmental aspects that are at stake for both Artic and non-Artic nations.
The major dialogue was on the increased militarization in the region. With the depletion of ice in the Artic, both Artic and non-Artic nations created their bases of military strength in that part. The discussion majorly focused on Russia’s interest in the region and its bases of military for its benefits. Russia has both economic and defence interests; this became evident after the investment done by Russia on military outposts and nuclear-powered submarines.
At the conference, the concern was shown by the Western countries over the ambitions of Moscow over the region. NATO and the state of the U.S. stated the importance of vigilance over the region. The US came up with strategies for the Arctic allied countries, previously introduced in 2023, which focused on the increased presence of military patrols and exercises, majorly with Norway and Canada. The US’s Admiral of the Navy emphasized multilateral naval presence to counter the ambitions of Russia and its footprint. China not being part of the Artic circle but do have interest in it, and it also showcased its interest through naming it “near Artic State.” With growing cooperation with Russia, China’s interest in the region is becoming suspicious and also creating tension among the Artic power states.
The conference also inculcated the environment and climate issues related to the region. With the growing pace of global warming, the region is warming twice its actual environment. In the reports given by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, the ice extent has reached its lowest in the year 2023. The loss of ice is affecting the ecosystem, the environmental components, and, most importantly, the lives of indigenous living beings. The conference discussed the preservation of the natural resources and risks, including oil spills and gas exploration. Countries like Canada and Greenland came forward to safeguard the traditional ways of life and also emphasized the importance of indigenous governance in the region.
Next panel of discussion consisted of the economic aspects, the factor of exploitation of natural resources in Artic region did become major factor in geopolitical dynamics. Russia regressive extraction of resources became point of debate whereas countries like Canada and Norway pushed for a sustainable development. During the discussion Russia’s Yamal Gas project came in and became the cornerstone Artic strategy. Russia’s plan to export gases to global markets will help in solidification of its position in energy supplier. Along with Russia, China became the point of contention as through Russia’s plan of extraction of gases China is planning its plan for its energy development. The BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) of China has reached the Artic region as well through its investment in the infrastructure, mining and telecommunication in the region majorly in the part of Greenland. The final draft of the conference did acknowledge the benefits of investments in the area but also poses challenges to the sustainability and environmental aspects.
The conclusion of the conference did mention of the need for enhanced governance structures to maintain and manage the Artic region. UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the present Artic Council emphasised on cooperation and need of body for the monitoring the rapid changes. The key concerns came out as there is a lack of mandate upon the security issues by the Artic council.
Members like Finland and Sweden and also the Artic nations and non-Artic nations called for the structuring of new body which will work for the prevention of conflict and competition. Artic Security Forum was also being proposed by the members for the easier management of security and military presence in the Artic region and to have transparency as well.
The conference did showcase the growing importance of the region in the global arena. Through the dialogues between nations, it became clear that the issue is multifaceted which asks for the cooperation between Artic as well as non-Artic nations. Also, the important factor was the management of resources and preserving the region for the future generation by adopting sustainable development. The event did mention about the rights and life of the indigenous communities present in the region; the region does consist of indigenous people who are living in a traditional lifestyle. With growing global warming, the breakage ice and melting create tension for the climate. The region is more than just a region for the geopolitical competition. It requires cooperation and assistance from all over the world leaders in order to save the Artic. The region does provide commerce, resources to the leaders but the extent of exploitation can lead to the deterioration of the region. With all environment degradation in the region its poses both opportunities as well as challenges for the world leaders, the challenge is for the leaders is to manage the challenges effectively.
