International Polar conference closed

Sunday, 13 June 2010 07:27

The International Polar Year Oslo Science Conference 2010 with more than 2 000 polar researchers from nearly 70 countries participating during the week's presentations, closed Saturday.

- This has been the largest polar science conference ever – a powerful demonstration of knowledge. We have been pleased and honoured to host you, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in his closing speech:

- Think about it: For centuries the Polar Regions ranked among the areas of the world about which countries used to know the least. A hundred years ago, large parts of the Arctic and Antarctica had not even been explored by people from outside these regions. And those who ventured deep into the Polar Regions rated as adventurous and daring explorers.

Many countries have proud lists of such explorers, and Norway is among them. Explorers and scientists such as Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen not only mapped unchartered regions. They also played a major part in the shaping of Norway’s modern national identity.

Next year – on 14 December – we will commemorate that 100 years have passed since Roald Amundsen  was the first to set foot on the South Pole. Others have almost been forgotten, like another Norwegian, Carsten Borchgrevink who, 12 years earlier, led the first expedition to spend the winter on the Antarctic continent, and paved the way for his more famous countryman.

The huts his expedition erected at Cape Adare were in fact the first buildings on the continent. They were made of prefabricated pine units made here in this very municipality of Skedsmo by Strømmen Trevarefabrikk about three kilometres west of this venue. The huts are still standing and are a proud part of Antarctica’s heritage.

For Norway, our history of polar exploration is just one reason for our deep involvement in polar research. We are the world’s fifth polar research nation in terms of publications. Norway is the only country with territories and maritime areas in both polar areas – large areas - and we have important industries that are dependent on them.

The intention of this conference has been to sum up the scientific results from the fourth international polar year that ended 1st of March last year.

The results are impressing: Altogether, 2 600 abstracts of scientific papers were submitted to the conference. Some 2 200 presentations have been given during the week. There have been a number of information and outreach activities. Enough to state that work will go on for a long time beyond the conference.

We can now state that the International Polar Year (IPY) has lifted polar research to a new level. Fifty thousand researchers and technicians from more than 60 nations have demonstrated the value of international cooperation.

Sound scientific knowledge is paramount for good management, making you - the polar researchers - key drivers in dealing with the challenges in the Polar Regions and their global impacts.

- This conference is the first of the IPY follow-up conferences. I am grateful to Canada for agreeing to host the next conference in 2012 and wish you all the best in your preparations, the Norwegian Foreign Minister concluded.

(NRK/Press release)