Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network has just released a newsletter for the month of March 2023 and it is available for online reading.
In Focus
Norway’s Chairship of the Arctic Council 2023–2025
‘We will work to ensure that the Arctic Council remains the leading international forum for Arctic issues. The pace of climate change is higher in the Arctic than in any other part of the world. This is a global challenge that we must address together,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt. Through four priority topics: the oceans climate and environment sustainable economic development; and people in the north, Norway will continue to pursue the long-term approach taken by the Council in its important efforts to ensure a vibrant and sustainable Arctic region. Read more
IACN News
Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region
The Government of Iceland, with financial support from the Nordic Council of Ministers, will host the Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region at Harpa, Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Center, 22-23 November 2023. The conference will build on the first symposium held in March 2021 and invites contributions on new scientific and local knowledge as well as policy-related initiatives in the field of plastic pollution to discuss ways and means to reduce the impact of plastics on Arctic ecosystems. The symposium will include platform presentations, posters and panel discussions.
Symposium Themes:
- Monitoring and assessment of plastic pollution in the Arctic.
- Methodological developments to determine macro, micro and nano plastics.
- Sources and transport of plastic in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.
- Impacts of marine litter in the Arctic (environmental, economic and social).
- Arctic challenges and solutions for improved waste management.
- Tackling plastic pollution: international collaboration, policies, best practices and novel developments from around the world.
Developing Skills in the Arctic Renewable Energy Sector
Online webinar, Wednesday 12th April 2023 12:00 - 12:50 EST (16:00 - 16:50 GMT)
IACN & WiRE: This first session in the series will explore current approaches and trends in developing skills needed for the Renewable Energy Transition in the Arctic region.
While factors such as access to relevant education and training in remote regions represent challenges for recruiting and retaining talent in the North, there are ways to overcome these obstacles through collaboration and innovation. This webinar will bring together experts from across the Arctic to explore opportunities and highlight ongoing work to strengthen the clean energy sector in the region.
GEA IV Workshop on Gender and Disaggregated Data in the Arctic Region
Akureyri and Online: On 15 and 16 March the IACN organized an invitation-only Workshop with representatives from the circumpolar Arctic, including Indigenous Peoples, to discuss Gender and Disaggregated Data in the Arctic Region. The workshop was funded by the Government of Canada.
During the development of the report on Gender Equality in the Arctic, authors of most chapters identified the paucity of data and the challenges this brings for analysis and comparisons. This continued lack of gendered and intersectional data, including specific data on Indigenous populations and LGBTQIA2S+, severely impedes efforts to adequately understand the dynamics of gender across the Arctic. Consistent and comparable data is the very foundation for understanding realities and inequalities across regions, countries, sectors, genders, and peoples.
Outcomes from the workshop will include the elaboration of a desktop study on existing data and challenges to gender and sex disaggregated data in the Arctic, and the identification of major challenges to the collection of additional data.
IACN Members News
The High North Young Entrepreneur contest at the High North Dialogue 2023
Bodø, Norway , Conference is on the 18-21st April 2023
The High North Dialogue is a platform for dialogue about the sustainable future in the Arctic.
This year’s topic is “Business in the Arctic – Spaces of Opportunities”, emphasizing the opportunities connected to Politics, Business, Outer Space and Ocean Space.