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Arctic Yearbook 2013
Dodds
president, and holds a PhD in political science. Previously he was a Finance Minister and a member
of the Icelandic Parliament. The timing was significant. Iceland had signed a free trade agreement
with China (15
th
April 2013) and entered into various negotiations with Chinese and Icelandic
organizations including oil exploration and shipping. The presidential talk also coincided with
Iceland‘s growing interest in being understood by others as an Arctic Ocean coastal state.
2
President
Grímsson‘s talk was significant as he told his audience about the growing ‗visibility‘ of what he
termed a ‗global Arctic‘. Significantly, he told his audience about his private meetings with South and
East Asian political leaders who all mentioned their interest in the Arctic, and desire to obtain
Observer status at the Arctic Council. The Arctic Circle initiative was, as he concluded, driven by
recognition that ‗the Arctic is not just our Arctic, it is a global Arctic and what happens there will
have fundamental consequences for every nation in the world‘.
In the question and answer session, President Grímsson was asked about the difference between the
Arctic Circle and the Arctic Council. His answer, significantly, made reference to the fact that
Observers to the Arctic Council are not allowed to contribute to the formal debate of the Council.
In contrast, the Arctic Circle would facilitate debate and dialogue, which would not privilege some
actors more than others. He spoke of the Arctic Circle being a democratic ‗open tent‘ and was
intended to be a facilitator for others to participate including the Northern Research Forum and
Polar Law Symposium.
The timing of this New York-based event was of course significant. Delivered approximately a
month before the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Kiruna, the press coverage in the aftermath
of the presidential address explicitly linked this initiative as a clarion call for a broader recognition of
the extra-territorial interests of other states and business corporations. On May 15
th
, under the
chairmanship of Sweden, the Arctic Council membership admitted six new states, China, India, Italy,
Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, to join the six states, nine intergovernmental organizations, and
eleven non-governmental organizations that already had ‗permanent‘ observer status in the Arctic
Council (AC). Swedish foreign minister and meeting host Carl Bildt told The New York Times (16
May 2013) that the expansion ‗strengthens the position of the Arctic Council on the global scene‘.
3
The decision to admit all the prospective states to observer status took its toll on other applicants
including non-state organizations such as Greenpeace and the Association of Oil and Gas
Producers. The candidature of the European Union was postponed. At the Kiruna meeting,
Greenpeace staged a protest against Arctic oil and gas drilling and has committed itself to continue
its high profile campaign.
So what has the Arctic Circle initiative achieved at this stage? One conclusion would be that the
timing of this initiative contributed to the increased likeliness of new observers such as China and
Japan being admitted in May 2013 to the Arctic Council, a result of President Grímsson‘s public
championing of these new states (he never once mentioned Italy in his speech) and willingness to
engage with business organizations. Indeed, the admittance of these new observers in some ways
consolidates a privileging of states regardless of their geographical relationship/location to the
Arctic. Moreover, the Arctic Council has committed itself to creating a Circumpolar Business Forum
(to be launched in 2014). In a speech delivered by Patrick Borbey, chair of the Senior Arctic
Officials (SAOs), it was noted that, ―the goals of the Forum include bringing circumpolar business