The Northern Forum wants to be the regional voice in the Arctic Council
The 12th General Assembly of the Northern Forum was held in Yakutsk, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia, on the 5th and 6th November this year. Entitled "Global changes - Local solutions", this assembly devoted particular attention to climate change issues and its impact on the area.
The Northern Forum, member of ORU Fogar, is a network of regions located near the Arctic Circle. It was founded in 1993 with the joint participation of Alaska, some Scandinavian regions and Russian federal bodies. The Northern Forum currently includes a large number of Russian federal bodies of a different nature: republics, oblasts (provinces), autonomous oblasts and territories with a specific nature like the krai. It has ties with Korea and China.
The event had a remarkable academic participation thanks to the cooperation of UArctic, a cooperative network of universities in the Arctic, which allowed professors at universities in Norway, Finland, Alaska, Russia or Japan to estimate the impact of climate change in the region, of fires in the tundra and in the taiga of over-fishing and an increasing mining activity. Besides addressing the climate issue, the assembly also devoted sessions to business cooperation, the development of common infrastructures in the area and strategies for safeguarding indigenous ways of life.
The assembly adopted some resolutions and its 2016-2017 work plan. Vladimir Vasiliev, Yakutia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, gave an account of the work carried out by the Republic, as holders of the rotating presidency of the Northern Forum, and expressed the need to strengthen the organisation to be able to have an influence of the Arctic Council. In the closing ceremony, Yakutia’ President, Egor Borisov, emphasised this political will by saying that "the Northern Forum must be the regional voice" in this Arctic entity made of national governments. "Our experience, the regional experience –stated Yakutia’s President- could be very useful at a global level".
ORU-Fogar’s Secretary General was invited to address the Assembly. Carles Llorens recalled that the Northern Forum took part in ORU’s creation in 2007 in Provence, and reaffirmed the commitment between both organisations. The Assembly concluded with the election of Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky, governor of Krasnoyarsk, as new Chairman of the Northern Forum.
To view the full Northern Forum General Assembly photo album, click here.
Related Content:
Summary of the 12th General Assembly. News item published on Northern Forum's website
Krasnoyarsk Krai replaced Yakutia as Chairman of the Northern Forum. News item published on Yakutia Today, 09/11/2015
Northern Forum – Snapshots. Photo Album of Northern Forum General Assembly published published on Reindeer Herding, 07/11/2015
