IQALUIT
Better communication and improved co-ordination of activities are two of the aspects Patrick Borbey wants to focus on during his term as chairperson of the Arctic Council's Senior Arctic Officials.
Patrick Borbey, chairperson of the Arctic Council's Senior Arctic Officials, said May 29 the council needs to do a better job of communicating its mandate to Northerners. - Myles Dolphin/NNSL photo
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Borbey was in Iqaluit on May 29 to speak about his new role and responsibilities. Recently appointed to the position by Leona Aglukkaq, the minister responsible for the Arctic Council, he said it's important for Northerners across the circumpolar world to understand what the Arctic Council does and how it can contribute to the betterment of their lives.
"We need to do a better job of communicating because unfortunately, quite often, people don't know what the Arctic Council does," he said.
The council includes eight member nations -- Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States.
"That's a failure we've had in the past, in terms of having a strong communication policy. Now we established a secretariat in Tromso, Norway, which was a legacy of the Swedes.
"It will include a communications officer and a web officer."
On top of the several initiatives Canada has set out to accomplish during its two-year tenure chairing the eight-nation council, there are over 50 ongoing activities and projects that were not quite completed under the past chairmanship that still need monitoring.
"It's really up to the minister and I to stay on top of the agenda and track the work," he said.
Examples of ongoing projects include the Polar Code – an international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters – and working with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to reduce mercury emissions.
Borbey spoke about the overarching theme for the council, which is "Development for the people of the North," and said despite being in a group composed of highly-developed countries, nations can learn from each other in various ways.
"The theme was developed in consultation with the seven other states and it resonated very much at Kiruna," he said, referring to the northern Swedish town where the Arctic Council met on May 14-15.
"We will look at encouraging more development and making sure it takes place to the benefit of all. Canada has lessons it has learned, such as the land claim agreement, that fit nicely into that theme even though each of our countries have different experiences with development."
Along with six permanent participants, six non-Arctic countries have also been granted observer status. China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Italy and India can attend meetings and take notes but do not have speaking privileges. Borbey said it's important for them contribute in other ways.
"They can bring technical expertise and help fund research. We want to make sure they don't undermine the fundamental nature of the Arctic Council," he said.
"In fact, we'd like to see observer nations involved in supporting the permanent participants in their role. We welcome their interest and hope they can contribute by helping us work out solutions."
The Arctic Council was established in 1996 and Canada served as its first chair.
