In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of the polar regions for people's opportunities to experience the wilderness fully and as reference areas for environmental monitoring and research. Norway is therefore working hard to ensure that these large continuous areas of wilderness are protected against major disturbance and environmental pressures.
International cooperation in Antarctica
Growing pressure from human activity in the Antarctic region has made it necessary to control and regulate activities that may be environmentally harmful, both in Antarctica itself and in the surrounding oceans. Even though the Antarctic is still the region of the earth that is least influenced by human activity, strict regulation is needed to maintain its untouched and pristine condition today. Because of the special status of Antarctica, this requires international cooperation, which takes place within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty.
International cooperation in Arctic
In recent years, extensive international cooperation has been developed in several fields in the Arctic region as well. Norway's priorities for this cooperation are to develop strategies and measures to maintain biological diversity, ensure sound management of common resources, combat climate change and prevent releases of radioactive substances and emissions of other hazardous chemicals.
Arctic Council
The ministerial conference held in Rovaniemi in Finland in 1991 laid the foundations for wider regional cooperation on environmental issues between the eight Arctic countries:
- Canada
- Denmark/Greenland,
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Russia
- Sweden
- the USA
- and representatives of the indigenous peoples in the Arctic region.
In 1996 the Arctic Council was established, involving the same eight countries.
During the first ministerial conference, the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy was drawn up and adopted as a platform for further cooperation.
The conference also decided that binding regional cooperation programmes were to be drawn up for the priority areas nature conservation, protection of the marine environment, environmental monitoring and cooperation on crisis management in the event of environmental disasters. The interests of the indigenous peoples play a central role in this cooperation.
Working groups under the Arctic Council
The following working groups have been established under the Arctic Council: