INTRODUCTION

Mr. Larry Maguire, as Member of Parliament, represented Canada at the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (the Standing Committee)[1] held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States from 23 to 24 February 2017.

Arctic parliamentary cooperation is facilitated by the Standing Committee between biennial meetings of the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (CPAR).[2] CPAR and the Standing Committee act as a parliamentary forum for issues relevant to the work of the Arctic Council. It comprises delegations from the eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United States) and the European Parliament. CPAR and the Standing Committee also include Permanent Participants representing indigenous peoples, as well as observers.

MEETING SUMMARY

A.  UPDATE ON THE ARCTIC COUNCIL CHAIRMANSHIP

Ms. Julie Gourley, Senior Arctic Official for the U.S. paid respects to the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin who passed away in New York. Mr. Churkin was the first Chair of the Arctic Council.

The theme of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2015-2017) “One Arctic – Shared Opportunities” reflects the many opportunities for cooperation in the Arctic Region while emphasizing the importance of peace and stability. Ms. Gourley reported on the three main focus areas of the U.S. Chairmanship:

1. Improving economic development and living conditions
2. Ocean research and development
3. Raising awareness of current conditions and future opportunities

The focus for economic opportunities was the need for community infrastructure including electrification through clean, local solutions versus the more expensive diesel power.

Strong infrastructure commitments and development would help support the reduction of mental health concerns and suicide prevention. The work of Senator Lisa Murkowski, representing the U.S. at SCPAR, was noted in efforts moving forward with various health initiatives. The use of private-public partnerships was also discussed in efforts to improve telecommunications infrastructure, thus providing more up to date information and employment opportunities in the Arctic.

Finland presented key areas to be developed during its term at the Arctic Council Chairmanship (2017-2019):

1. Education
2. Environmental protection
3. Connectivity
4. Meteorology (focus on Arctic weather)

 B.  USE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT INTEGRATION SYSTEMS

Ms. Cathy Cahill, Director of the Alaska Centre for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Arctic, indicated that collaboration among Arctic nations in UAS use is most useful in accumulating valuable data in the Arctic Region. The operation of such equipment in extreme Arctic conditions is very useful for search and rescue endeavours. UAS can also be valuable for: inventory and surveillance of Arctic wildlife, detection of oil and gas spills and flares, sea ice thickness studies, and mapping.

 C.  PRESENTATION BY MIKE SFRAGA, POLAR INITIATIVE, WOODROW WILSON CENTER

Dr. Mike Sfraga, Director of the Polar Initiative, explained that much of the research being carried out as part of the Polar Initiative at the Wilson Center is based on the importance of oil and gas needs for local communities in the Arctic. Dr. Sfraga collaborates with Ross Virginia, Director of the Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth College in Nova Scotia in the framework of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative. The two teams of researchers focus on the impact of climate change in the Arctic. The Fulbright Arctic Initiative, put forward by the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, provides a platform for scholars from across the Arctic region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research around a number of themes.

 D.  STATUS OF THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE

The Canadian delegation reported to the Standing Committee on:

1. Studies on coastal erosion in the Beaufort Sea region and its impacts on local communities.
2. Funding invested by Canada and the Province of Manitoba for the University of Manitoba to study the use of microbial analysing tools for cleaning up operations in oil spill events in the Arctic.
3. Investment by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation in the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Amundsen research studies such as sea ice, health issues in Canadian Inuit communities and glacier melt.
4. The Canada-U.S. Arctic Leaders Statement outlining cooperation in the Arctic and a 5‑year moratorium on oil and gas development in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.
5. The Canada-Russia joint conference held in Ottawa in November 2016 to discuss issues of mutual concern in the Arctic and areas for enhanced cooperation.

 E.  LETTER OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE TO THE ARCTIC COUNCIL

The Standing Committee unanimously drafted a letter to be sent to the Arctic Council re-emphasizing its recommendations from the 12th CPAR held in June 2016 in Russia with regards to Arctic cooperation (see Appendix 2).

 F.  FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE

The next meeting of the Standing Committee is scheduled for 15 to 18 May 2017 in Greenland, Denmark. Subsequent meetings will be held on 12-13 October 2017 in Iceland and from 23-25 November 2017 in Finland.

Mr. Scott Simms, M.P., President

Canada-Europe Parliamenary Association