A Decade of Asian Diplomacy and Cooperation in Arctic Council
Five Asian nations, China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea have completed a decade as Observers in the Arctic Council. These countries became part of the Council as Formal Observers in 2013, following a resolution to allow non-Arctic states to join. The article gives an outline of India's contribution to the Arctic Council, emphasising its active involvement in diverse working groups, task forces, and expert teams, as well as its scientific exploration expeditions in the Arctic region. India's interest in the Arctic is driven by strategic interests such as energy security, climate change, and maritime trade. The activities of China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea as Observers of Arctic Council are also briefly enumerated.
In 2023, five Asian countries China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea completed 10 years in the Arctic Council as Observers. They joined the Council after a watershed decision to admit non-Arctic nations as Formal Observers at the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting in 2013. With this, Arctic affairs became more global as more countries started realising the strategic, scientific, and economic value of the Arctic Region (Lindgren and Lanteigne, 2023). Within the decade, China, India, Japan, and South Korea have released their Arctic policies, outlining their interests, visions and goals for the Arctic’s present and future. Although Singapore has not yet penned down its Arctic strategy in a white paper, it has made strategies over the years to engage in the Arctic via its shipping industry, maritime structure, and global governance outlook (Bennett, 2017). They have been associated with the working groups, task forces, expert groups playing their part in the capacity of Observers.
Arctic Council’s activities are divided into six working groups, namely the Arctic Contaminants Action Programme (ACAP), Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR), Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), and Expert Groups, Black Carbon and Methane Expert Group (BCMEG), Expert-Based Management Expert Group (EBMEG).
India
India has actively collaborated with the Council and other stakeholders in the Arctic Region for the past decade and has participated in various meetings and initiatives as an Observer in the Council since 2013. The country's involvement in the Arctic is driven by strategic interests such as energy security, climate change, and maritime trade.
Furthermore, India has been involved in Arctic research in areas related to renewable energy and climate change. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), the nodal body for conducting India's Polar sciences has embarked on several scientific expeditions to the Arctic to study the effects of climate change on the ecosystem and explore renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. India's engagement with the Arctic Council has been steadily increasing over the past decade. The country's interest in the Arctic Region reflects the increasing awareness of its global significance, especially in the context of melting of Arctic sea ice.
India has been part of the various working groups, task forces, and experts groups:
ACAP: (i) Black carbon case studies platform
AMAP: (i) Climate change and trends (ii) Contaminants
CAFF: (i) Arctic migratory birds initiative (AMBI) (ii) Arctic coastal biodiversity monitoring plan (iii) Arctic alien invasive species strategy and action plan
PAME: (i) Arctic ship traffic data (ii) Invasive species (iii) Underwater noise (iv) Black carbon emissions (v) Marine litter (vi) Engagement with Observers on shipping-related matters
SDWG: (i) Arctic sustainable energy tool kit II (ii) Blue bio-economy in the Arctic
India has also set up a permanent research base Himadri in the International Arctic Research base, NyÅlesund, Svalbard, Norway (Republic of India, 2021). It provides extensive field and laboratory support required for pursuing research activities in the Arctic. India's Gruvebadet Atmospheric Laboratory at the Ny-Ålesund is dedicated to understanding the various atmospheric parameters like monitoring clouds, precipitation, humidity profiles, etc. The ‘IndARC’ - India's multi-sensor oceanographic subsurface mooring has also been deployed by India in cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) in the transition zone of Kongsfjorden with sensors for measuring temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, currents, fluorescence, nutrients, etc. Over 100 scientists/researchers from 25 research and educational institutes in India have visited the Indian Research station, Himadri. More than 40 research publications have been published by Indian researchers based on their scientific studies in the Arctic.
Image Source: https://www.moes.gov.in/sites/
After many years of being an Observer State in the Council, India has also sought to further develop its own polar competency, releasing its first Arctic Policy in 2022 and tying Arctic studies to longstanding research in the Himalayan Region, often referred to as the ‘Third Pole’ (Lanteigne, 2023).
Source: https://www.geospatialworld.
For capacity building and extension services, NCPOR and Cochin University of Science and Technology have jointly established a Polar Research Center to facilitate research and offer courses on Polar Sciences to students to build up research activities in India.
China
As part of the ACAP working group, China has been investing in researchers and engineers to work on black carbon, methane, and solid waste management from institutes such as the Research Academy of Environmental Sciences and the Polar Research Institute of China. China’s attempt to include the reference of emissions in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Antarctica got a green light in the 2019 workshop on POP and CC, under the AMAP group.
China has also been involved in the process from drafting to implementation of Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative Work Plan 2019-2023 (AMBI 2.0). It has been conducting workshops such as East Asian-Australian Flyway Workshop in collaboration with the Arctic Council (Arctic Council, 2020). It has been sending the researchers, scientists, and experts to attend workshops, seminars, plenary meetings, and discussions to provide their inputs in projects such as Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter and Microplastics; Arctic Hydrogen Energy Application and Demonstration; Zero Arctic, etc.
At the institutional level, 13 Chinese universities and scientific institutes have joined the network of ‘The University of Arctic’ and its assembly. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences promotes research on the Indigenous people of Arctic in line with the preservation of their unique lifestyles and values. It has also organised 9th, 10th and 11th Arctic expeditions since 2018, actively engaging in the Arctic affairs. It has bilateral consultations with all the Arctic countries for policy and research-level cooperation. China has sent delegations to attend various multilateral meetings relating to the Arctic, including ‘the Arctic Circle’ and the ‘Arctic Frontiers’.
China’s 2018 Arctic Policy considers China as a ‘near Arctic state’. The Policy also considers the Arctic as a ‘new strategic frontier’ for global politics. China has also incorporated its Polar Silk Road project under its ambitious ‘One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI) (Sharma, 2021) and outlined the Arctic as a region with geopolitical implications for countries outside the region
According to a report, China has expressed interest in developing oil, gas, minerals, non-fossil energy, fishing, and tourism in the Arctic region (The Strait Times, 2018). However, it has stated that it intends to pursue these activities in partnership with Arctic States while showing respect for the traditions and cultures of Arctic residents including indigenous peoples, and protecting the natural environment. This interest is part of China's broader strategy to secure access to resources and diversify its energy sources.
Japan
After becoming the Arctic Council Observer in 2013, Japan formulated its Arctic Policy in 2015, focusing on three thematic pillars, research and development, international cooperation and sustainable use (Arctic Council, 2020).
Moving forward with its vision, Japan contributed to the research infrastructure such as MIRAI, the research vessel, Poker Flat Research Range Super-Site in Alaska, jointly activated the Ice Base Cape Baranova, Russia, and research sites at Centre for Northern Studies, Canada. Japan also created an open-access data system called Arctic Data Archive System (ADS) contributing to knowledge systems of the Arctic.
Japan also initiated projects such as Arctic Challenge for Sustainability I and II with priority areas and research infrastructure to promote advanced and interdisciplinary research on the Arctic with social impacts (Arctic Council, 2020). The projects aimed to research weather, climatic and environmental research in Arctic Region. Japan’s scientists have been part of working groups; namely ACAP, AMAP, AMBI, Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, Response, PAME, SDWG, and Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane.
Japan considers the High North to be crucial to its national interests and has actively participated in various regional research initiatives for a long time. The country plans to deploy a new icebreaker by 2026, which will provide a platform for international scientific collaboration. Tokyo's engagement in the Arctic aligns with its broader foreign policy agenda, including the advocacy for a ‘free and open’ High North under the rule of law, as outlined in its Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision. Additionally, the Government of Japan, under Kishida Fumio, is prioritising the importance of ocean governance and connectivity and is set to revise Japan's 2018 Basic Plan on Ocean Policy and its 2015 Arctic Policy.
Singapore
As other Observer State, Singapore too actively participates in Arctic Council Working Groups and their mechanisms such as Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System, Marine Environmental Response Expert Group (MER-EG), Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic Agreement, AMBI (Arctic Council, 2020).
Singapore launched the Singapore-Arctic Council Permanent Participants (PPs) Cooperation Package recognising the stakes of indigenous peoples, Technical Cooperation Package for human resource development, and discussions on the conservation and management of heritage sites, port management, tourism promotion, and public administration and multicultural policies.
At the research level, Singapore is contributing to studies such as viability of Trans-Arctic shipping routes and their impact analysis on maritime transportation; innovations for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic; linkage of loss in Arctic Ice mass and projected sea-level rise in SE Asia; preservation of traditional indigenous lifestyles; implications of climate change on carbon cycling of permafrost soils.
South Korea
South Korea has been engaged in international scientific and diplomatic endeavours in the Arctic region, such as participating in the International Arctic Scientific Committee and regional conferences like Arctic Frontiers. The country has also been engaged in bilateral diplomacy with Arctic nations, such as signing an agreement with Russia on maritime transport and agreeing to construct a gas pipeline in 2010.
Since 2013, after joining the Arctic Council as an Observer, it has been providing constructive inputs while building strong relations with the Council’s Working Groups and PPs. For instance, as a member of the PAME working group project, it has been one of the co-leads on ‘strengthening observer engagement for shipping-related activities’; as part of CAFF, contributed to the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative, Korea is part of the route along the East Asian Flyway (The Arctic Institute, 2023). It has organisations such as the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), National Institute of Ecology (NIE), and Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), amongst others, dedicated to coordinating with the activities of the Arctic.
At the policy level, South Korea brought out its Arctic Policy Master Plan in 2013. It envisioned working towards a sustainable future in the Arctic by building Arctic partnerships, enhancing scientific research toward the resolution of common issues of mankind, and engaging in economic activities by developing a new industry in the region.
It has taken many other initiatives to increase its stakes in the region such as creating the first Arctic Circle Forum. In 2020, Arctic Club in Korea, a policy consultative group was launched to promote conservation and sustainable development in the Arctic. It has an extensive boreal scientific programme and launched the KPS satellite system project in 2021 for the purpose. It is constructing an icebreaker to access both poles seamlessly.
To be a significant stakeholder, South Korea has been engaging the Arctic countries, and Observers in business and scientific endeavours, including cooperation at the bilateral level.
Way Forward
The activities of the Arctic Council have been in suspension mode due to the conflict among Russia-Ukraine as Russia currently holds the Chairship. This has affected the already limited participation delineated in the Arctic Council rules of Observer States in the Council as an incidental implication of this deadlock in the region. These rules have limited the participation of these Observer States to the working groups primarily prohibiting them from being the decision-makers. However, engagement with the Arctic is much desired, especially for India. As per many reports, Indian monsoons are influenced by the Arctic which can directly impact the significant population of South Asia in terms of agriculture, sea level rise, etc. The scientific findings related to glacial research can also help in understanding the dynamics of glaciers in the Himalayas. Not only scientific but the Arctic is also of geopolitical significance to India, therefore India needs to take a multidimensional approach including negotiating a more inclusive participation, increasing its research capabilities, and collaborating with other Asian States, amongst others.
References
Arctic Council (2020). Compilation of Observer Regular Reports 2019 - 2021. Arctic Council.
Arctic Council (2020). Japan-Observer Report 2020. Retrieved from oaarchive.arctic-council.org: https://oaarchive.arctic-
Arctic Council (2020). People’s Republic of China - Observer Report 2020. oaarchive.arctic-council.org: https://oaarchive.arctic-
Arctic Council (2020). Republic of Singapore - Observer Report 2020. oaarchive.arctic-council.org: https://oaarchive.arctic-
Bennett, M. (2017). Singapore: The “Global City” in a Globalizing Arctic. Journal of Borderlands Studies, 33 (25), 1-22, https://www.researchgate.net/
Bennett, M. (2017). Singapore: The “Global City” in a Globalizing ArcticMia. Journal of Borderlands Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/
Lanteigne, W. Y. (2023). Asia-Arctic Diplomacy a Decade Later: What Has Changed? Retrieved from thediplomat.com: https://thediplomat.com/2023/
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