Newsletter 17 October 2024: Greetings From The Saga Island

Les på norsk

The High North News team has traveled southward to Reykjavik, Iceland, to cover Arctic science, security policy, and business. This year's Arctic Circle Assembly keywords are science diplomacy and young voices from the North. 

It is hardly a coincidence that science diplomacy, which supports diplomatic processes through science, characterizes this year's major Arctic meeting place. When state leaders fall short in war and climate crises, diplomatic processes enable the parties to talk together. 

On the topic of science diplomacy, researchers Charlotte Gehrke and Dorothea Wehrmann write in an op-ed: 

"To tackle the crisis of slow-moving political action and fulfil the policy’s promise of strengthening research cooperation, more science diplomacy beyond the STEM-disciplines is needed." 

Meanwhile, extreme right parties are on the rise across central parts of Europe, most recently in Austria. 

“What are the chances for the rest of Europe to hold off? And what happens when traditional democratic parties meet the extreme on their home court?” commentator Arne O. Holm asks in his latest comment.  

Three exciting days await but let us first look at the days behind us.

Recently, the allied Arctic chiefs of defense met in Iceland to discuss the security policy situation in the region and the possibilities for increased cooperation. 

Russia and China 

We closely follow Russia's and China's activity in the Arctic. 

With an unusually early return of winter sea ice, shipping for low ice-class vessels will come to a halt on Russia’s Northern Sea Route in the coming days, at least officially. 

That said, Russia and China's collaboration in the Arctic continues, now with new plans to build high-ice-class containerships to begin year-round shipments on the Northern Sea Route.

Fisheries and culture 

We continue following the quota crisis in Finnmark, in which a new report looks at the future of the coastal municipalities in Norway's northernmost county. (Norwegian only) 

And on Saturday, this year's Pan-ArcticVision was held in Greenland. See who won here. (Norwegian only) 

Read about this and more at High North News! And perhaps we will see you in Iceland? 

Best regards,

Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen