International conference on the Arctic

It also aims to continue the momentum provided by the International Polar Year with regard to scientific research and international cooperation. The conference will notably facilitate the mobilization of political and institutional leaders, emphasising the urgency of acting to support a network of observation stations in the Arctic.

The conference, under the chairmanship of the current European Union president France, has gathered countries of the 27-nation EU, as well as Norway, Iceland, Monaco and representatives from Greenland, in addition to delegates from the non-European members of the Arctic Council -- Canada, Russia and the United States.

Following this conference, the Arctic region should be the subject of a European Commission Communication at the end of 2008.

A press release from the conference states that the Arctic is a key area in the global climate system and an essential part of the global physical and biological balance. The environment of these high northern latitudes is also particularly sensitive to human activities, whether it be pollution emitted into the northern hemisphere and which is particularly prevalent in this area, or the melting of the Arctic ice cap, which is increasing every year.

The poles are exceptional laboratories for the study of global climate change: scientific research in these areas provides essential information to help policymakers to act.

The conference says it is important now to work on reinforcing the coordination of the scientific structures set up in the Arctic by a number of countries, whether they are Arctic neighbours or countries with renowned scientific tradition and expertise. It is essential to provide the best possible data to inform policy decisions. Many observation stations are already working hard to provide extensive information in all scientific disciplines, but this body of knowledge is not sufficiently taken into account. It has become all the more urgent to work collectively to make the research more visible and to encourage the networking of the polar observation stations now that we know that environmental change is accelerating.

(EU Press release)

Rolleiv Solholm

Tuesday, 11 November 2008 09:21