Northern (Arctic) Federal University hosted the conference “Ensuring Safety and Sustainable Development in the Arctic Region, Preservation of Ecosystems and Traditional Way of Life of the Indigenous Peoples of the North” Organized under the auspice of the RF Security Council and hosted as part of the V International Meeting of the Arctic Council member countries, Arctic Council Observer States and International Academic Community, this forum runs on an annual basis. An indispensable part of the Arctic agenda aiming to promote good neighborly relations and cooperation — as prerequisites for human activity in the severe Arctic milieu — the forum has convened 11 countries and their scholars, experts and polar explorers.
The conference discussed the current challenges pertaining to consolidating by the nations of their efforts towards preservation — in the context of the large-scale subsoil resource development project — of the vulnerable Arctic ecosystems; to personnel training for Arctic-focused projects; and to sustainability of indigenous peoples of the North. Much focus was laid on the Arctic research cooperation.
These important topics were reflected in the speeches of senior officials of the University of the Arctic and representatives of UArctic member institutions from Russia, United States, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Korea. The audience’s attention was attracted by the report of Lassi Heininen, Professor of the University of Lapland and leader of UArctic Thematic network “Geopolitics and Security”, where he considered the Arctic as the region of geopolitical stability.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, also stressed the importance of international cooperation. “Within our meetings, we are consistently expanding the platform of international dialogue, raising issues more and more important for the Arctic development” – said the Security Council’s secretary.
More information:
http://www.narfu.ru/en/news/?ELEMENT_ID=224325
http://www.narfu.ru/en/news/?ELEMENT_ID=224327
