This year Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit 2023 is looking towards new horizons.

The conference focus is on the topics of security, in it's many forms. 

Please, note that the program is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the conference. Speakers will be announced as soon as confirmed.

Monday kicks of the conference with a cultural programme and a reception hosted by our partners, the European Commission Representation in Finland. 

Tuesday consists of discussions, featuring keynote speeches and panel discussions focusing on the changed security landscape.

On Wednesday we will look at the theme of security more broadly and from various angles, from climate tipping points to food security.

Opening remarks

Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio, Mayor of Rovaniemi
Johanna Ikävalko, Director of the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland

Keynote speech: Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland. 

Finnish presidency at Barents EuroArctic Council 2021-2023: Experiences and Conclusions

Organised by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Speaker: Marja Joenusva, Ambassador, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

North Karelia´s Presidency of the Barents Regional Council 2023-2025

Organised by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Speaker: Markus Hirvonen, Region Mayor, North Karelia

New horizons: The Arctic after changes in the security landscape

Session organized by Arctic Centre

Speakers:

• Anni Koivisto, vice president, Sami Parliament of Finland
• Rebecca Pinkus, Wilson Centre, Washington TBC
• Sanna Kopra, researcher, Arctic Centre 

Lunch

Russian aggression and the European Arctic

Session organised by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

Coffee break

Hybrid threats and the Arctic 

Session organized by Hybrid CoE

Session description: The Arctic has long been seen as an exceptional zone of regional cooperation, even if vulnerabilities were recognized in view of China's interest in infrastructure in the High North. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, two Norwegian undersea fibre-optic cables suffered cuts, and the subsequently recurring GPS jamming has been attributed to Russia. With Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession, all Arctic States apart from Russia, namely “the Arctic 7”, are NATO members. This year, Russia has deleted mentions that reflect cooperation with the Arctic 7 from its Arctic strategy, and has announced new partnerships with China. Will hybrid threats increase as a result of these developments? What forms could malign activities take? By what means will China pursue influence in and over the Arctic?

Community engagement in Arctic security

Session organised by Arctic Mayors Forum and Fulbright

Session description: The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important in terms of global security. As a result, there is a growing need for engagement with communities to understand what security means to Arctic residents. While Arctic security is often understood in terms of military security, this narrow scope draws attention away from other essential and pressing aspects of Arctic security. In spring of 2023, the Arctic Fulbright Scholars III released their policy brief which included a section on Arctic security. The recommendation to policy makers was to "Include all relevant forms of security, such as food, environmental, energy, gender, health, economic, and cultural security, when developing security policy through active and meaningful engagement of Arctic communities." This session will explore actionable step on how to concretely engage Arctic communities in security discussions.

Moderator: Andreas Østhagen, Senior Researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Arctic Fulbright Scholar

Speakers: 

• Ulla Kirsikka Vainio, Mayor of Rovaniemi
• Erkki Parkkinen, Mayor of Salla
• Alayna Ningeongan, Intern, Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat
• Fulbright Scholar (TBC)

Science Diplomacy, The Arctic, and The Fulbright Program: A Call for Action

The Fulbright Finland Foundation announces several major award programs targeted for Arctic scholars, students, and professionals, and invites institutions across sectors to work together with the Foundation in creating new opportunities for Arctic collaboration. This 5-minute news update is a call for action for all Arctic Spirit participants.

• Terhi Mölsä, CEO, Fulbright Finland Foundation

Conference Dinner

19:00 (EET)

Venue: Lappia Hall

Arctic landscapes under pressure - effects of national and international policies and businesses on land-use development.

Organized by ArcticHubs, CHARTER and JustNorth

Session description: Land use is a contentious topic in the Arctic. In this session, three EU Horizon 2020-funded projects (ArcticHubs, CHARTER, and JUSTNORTH) share their findings from future-oriented interviews, surveys and workshops and give legal and policy recommendations. The panel, joined by local representatives, also discusses land use and its linkages to just green transition and continuous needs to safeguard the Arctic climate and habitats. Finally, what are the "what-ifs" and "so-whats" in the decision-making related to land use, and what kind of legacies will the present-day decisions leave for future generations.

Contact person: Helen Honkasaari (helen.honkasaari@ulapland.fi)

Speakers: 

• Valentijn Beets, Entrepreneur, Bearhill Husky
• Sanna Hast, Senior adviser, Reindeer Herders’ Association
• Corine Wood-Donnelly, Associate Professor and Scientific Coordinator for JUSTNORTH
  
  

Arctic Tipping points as a global challenge.

Organized by UArctic

Session description: Of the sixteen primary tipping points in the global climate system, eight are in the Arctic. If any of these thresholds are crossed, it will have irreversible effects, not just for the Arctic, but for human societies and ecosystems around the planet. There are signs that such catastrophic and potentially cascading events are already occurring. However, we can still address these challenges and prevent the worst potential outcomes if the global community jointly takes action. To encourage such action, this session will introduce the potential risks around Arctic tipping points, highlight the necessity of global cooperation, and foreground some potential measures that might help avoid the worst catastrophes.

Contact person: Albert van Wijngaarden (albertvanw@gmail.com)

Speakers:

• Tim Lenton, Professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science, University of Exeter.
• Åsa Larsson Blind, vice-president of the Saami Council.
• Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, Greenlandic member of the Danish Parliament.
• John Moore, Research Professor, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.

Critical explorations of the political in the Arctic.

Organised by the Arctic politics and development research program.

Session description: How do we understand the political in the Arctic? The region is increasingly viewed as an object of global governance and science with certain kinds of properties and dynamics. Understandings of what counts as political in the Arctic are commonly limited to this perception. Our starting point is that through making some entities and relations visible as well as certain epistemologies and research methods available at the expense of others, research takes part in (the making of) Arctic politics and what is considered as political and what is not. For us, the political is a constant source of negotiation and open to reinterpretations in different contexts. In this session, we will explore different, alternative approaches to the political and ways to ontologise Arctic politics.

Contact person: Monica Tennberg (monica.tennberg@ulapland.fi)

Speakers: 

• Marjo Lindroth, Senior Researcher, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.
• Joonas Vola, Post-doctoral researcher, University of Lapland.
  
• Assi Harkoma, Junior Researcher, University of Lapland.
• Monica Tennberg, Research professor, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.
• Sanna Kopra, University researcher, University of Lapland.
• Marlene Payva Almonte, Post-doctoral researcher, University of Lapland 
• Vesa Väätänen, Senior Reseacher, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland 

Indigenous Saami youth perspectives on climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation in Finland

Organized by Youth and indigenous peoples’ involvement in climate change adaptation in the Arctic and Barents region (ACAF) project

Session description: The session will introduce results of workshops organized in summer 2023 in Finnish Sápmi for Saami youth. The session will address Saami youth perspectives on the effects of climate change to their culture, livelihood and to the future of their way of life and climate adaptation and mitigation.  

Contact person: Jaana Sorvali (jaana.sorvali@luke.fi)

Speakers:

• Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi
• Saami youth TBC

Arctic climate interventions: an indigenous youth perspective

Organized by:  John Moore, Ilona Mettiäinen and Albert van Wijngaarden

Session description: To counter the already dire effects of climate change in the Arctic, and help move humanity back from some of the planetary tipping points, we may choose to consider methods that would actively modify elements of the climate system. Such techniques, known as climate intervention or geoengineering, are highly controversial and often fuel polarized debates, particularly within the Arctic context. Typically, discussions on climate interventions are by influential academic figures, who express their views on whether or not such measures should be considered. However, this approach risks perpetuating historical colonial patterns and neglects the perspectives of those whose interests are most affected: the local and indigenous populations, particularly young people. In this session, young and indigenous representatives whose voices have until now scarcely been heard will share their perspective on the potential role of climate intervention in the Arctic. Stepping away from the science and engineering questions, this session will thereby focus on issues of justice, ethics, acceptability, consent, and decolonization of climate action and discuss if and how research into these topics might be properly conducted.

Contact person: Albert van Wijngaarden (albertvanw@gmail.com)

Speakers:

• Lotte Hagelin
• Åsa Larsson Blind
• Iluuna Sørensen
• Anni-Sofia Niittyvuopio

Sustainable Green Transition in the North

Organised by the Ministry for the Environment of Finland

Session description: The green transition is proceeding rapidly in the North. It creates opportunities, but on the other hand also challenges for the Northern nature, communities and indigenous people. In this session, we search for tools and solutions for handling the sustainability challenges connected to the green transition in the North.

Green transition in Arctic cities and municipalities: towards evidence-based policy-making

Organised by Arctic PASSION and Arctic Mayors Forum.

Session description: The Arctic green transition can be viewed as a significant socioeconomic opportunity for northern regions and populations, but it can also be a source of concerns and tensions. The session's goal is to tell the Arctic community the best stories about Arctic cities and their policies and collaboration with industries and science for local climate mitigation, as well as how these stories contributed to developing and implementing plans to reduce GHG emissions.

Contact person: Pavel Tkach (pavel.tkach@ulapland.fi)

Speakers:

• Rebecca Alty - Mayor of Yellowknife, Canada
• Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio - Mayor of Rovaniemi, Finland
• Robert Barr - Deputy City Manager, Juneau City and Borough, USA
• Líf Magneudóttir - City Councilor, Reykjavik City, Iceland 
• Daniel Smirat - Chairman of the Municipal Council, Lulea Municipality, Sweden
• Volker Rachold - Head, German Arctic Office, Arctic PASSION project

Strengthening region-building through multilevel governance and interregional cooperation through the Arctic Mayors’ Forum.

Organised by ARCSUS+SDG: Governing Arctic Urban Sustainability through the lens of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – project

Session description: This session focuses on the power dynamics, the role of cities in the Arctic governance, and the Arctic Mayors Forum.

Contact persons: Juha Saunavaara (juha.saunavaara@arc.hokudai.ac.jp) and Aileen A. Espiritu (aileen.a.espiritu@uit.no)

Future of ocean governance

Organized by Arctic Governance Research Group

Contact person: Stefan Kirchner (stefan.kirchner@ulapland.fi)

The panel/session will focus on the governance of the Arctic Ocean, in light of current and projected changes, influencing ecosystems, communities, and economies across the region and beyond. Particularly, as the sea-ice cover diminishes this results in increased accessibility and interest for human activities. The session will feature four presentations that will introduce the legal and policy framework applicable to the general protection and preservation of the marine environment of the Arctic ocean. As well, special regimes applicable to current and future activities in the Arctic ocean for instance search and rescue, marine scientific research, fisheries, shipping, and in the distant future deep-sea mining.

Starting out, the general legal framework applicable to the Central Arctic Ocean will be introduced and perspectives from the work of Arctic Council Working Groups, as well as the EU will be shared. Delving deeper, the session will take up the special regimes relevant for the region, for instance what legal rules would be applicable should deep sea mining activities be contemplated as a future scenario. The discussion includes the consideration of the manifold challenges and opportunities on how to best protect and preserve Arctic marine biodiversity.

Speakers:

• Timo Koivurova, research professor, Arctic Centre: "Perspectives on Arctic Ocean Governance – the CAO project"
• Jose Miguel Roncero Martin, European Commission: "EU perspectives and actions to support governance structures in the Arctic Ocean"
• Katharina Heinrich, reseacher, Arctic Centre: "Marine biodiversity conservation in a changing Arctic"
• Krittika Singh, PhD reseacher, Arctic Centre: "Deep sea mining activities in the Arctic as a future scenario"

Tiedon yhteistuotanto ja ilmastonmuutos pohjoismaissa

Session description: Session in Finnish. A report from the session will be published in English. 

Sessio tuo uutta tietoa ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutuksista, tiedon yhteistuotannosta alkuperäiskansojen kanssa ja alkuperäiskansojen osallisuudesta ilmastopoliittiseen päätöksentekoon. Sessioon osallistuu puhujina Suomen arktinen seura ja ilmastolain mukaisen saamelaisen ilmastoneuvoston perinteisen tiedon haltijat ja tiedeyhteisön edustajat.

Avauspuheet:

Suomen arktinen seura

Saamelainen ilmastoneuvosto ja sen rooli ilmastopolitiikan tietopohjan tukemisessa - Suomen ilmastoneuvoston puheenjohtaja Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi

Paneeli: Ilmastonmuutos ja tiedon yhteistuotanto

Moderaattori: TBC

Osallistujat: Saamelaisen ilmastoneuvoston jäsenet

Paneelissa keskustellaan tiedeyhteisön ja saamelaisen perinteisen tiedon haltijoiden näkemyksistä ilmastonmuutoksesta, sen hillinnästä ja siihen sopeutumisesta. Lisäksi keskustellaan näkemyksistä tiedon yhteistuotannosta, eli perinteisen tiedon ja akateemisen tiedon vuorovaikutuksesta saamelaisia koskevassa ilmastonmuutostutkimuksessa.

Message from the Inter-Polar Conference: Connecting the Arctic with the Third Pole.

Organised by Kamrul Hossain, The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law of the Arctic Centre, University of Laplan

Session description: The Arctic and the Third Pole-Himalayan region both contain important elements of the cryosphere, the near-permanent presence of water in a frozen state. However, as temperatures in both regions are currently increasing rapidly, these areas are rapidly thawing, and several elements of the cryosphere are at the tipping points. The interlinked aspect of cryosphere thaw and climate change is crucial in promoting polar science. However, the Arctic and Third Pole are almost always considered separately, demonstrating very little knowledge about the commonalities and links between both regions, especially concerning (geo-) political, socio-cultural, environmental and legal dynamics of effects of and responses to these changes.

Contact person: Kamrul Hossain (kamrul.hossain@ulapland.fi)

Speakers:

• Kamrul Hossain, Research professor, Arctic Centre
• Markku Heikkilä, Head of science communication, Arctic Centre
• Albert van Wijngaarden, Visiting researcher, University of Lapland
• Marlene Payva Almonte, Post-doctoral researcher, University of Lapland