Douglas C. Nord is Professor of Political Science at Western Washington University, USA & Visiting
Professor at Umeå University, Sweden.
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Creating a Framework for Consensus Building
& Governance:
An Appraisal of the Swedish Arctic Council
Chairmanship and the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting
Douglas C. Nord
The Swedish Chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2011-13 represented a distinctive contribution to the
development of an Arctic governance structure in transition. As the last of the Arctic Eight to assume the chair of the
body, Sweden sought to follow a leadership approach that endeavored to build consensus and find common ground
among members who seemed, at times, to be at odds with one another over several significant Arctic policy issues.
During its tenure as chair, Sweden introduced a broad agenda for action on Arctic environmental and sustainable
development issues. It also attempted to assist the Council in making some necessary organizational changes to the
manner in which it conducted its own affairs. The purpose of this article is first, to describe the specific vantage point of
Sweden toward the Arctic and the Arctic Council and second, to discuss the specific initiatives it chose to pursue during
its chairmanship. Due attention is also given to some of Sweden‘s specific organizational efforts to ―build a stronger
Council‖ and to overcome barriers to institutional growth and development. Events of the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting
are also discussed and evaluated in this context. An assessment is offered of the overall strengths and weaknesses of the
Swedish Chairmanship and what may be the most significant features of its legacy.
Introduction
Sweden, for the most part, has never fully considered itself to be an Arctic nation. Despite having a
significant record in Arctic exploration and northern scientific research, the country has never