Co-hosting the Arctic Circle Japan Forum under the theme of "Asia in the Future of the Arctic"

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) together with Arctic Circle and The Nippon Foundation held the Arctic Circle Japan Forum from March 4-6, 2023.

Arctic Circle is the largest network for international dialogue and cooperation focusing on the future of the Arctic and our planet. It is an open and democratic platform with participation from governments, businesses, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, members of the public, and others. The Arctic Circle Assembly has been held in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, every year since 2013, and more than 2,000 people attended the general meeting in October 2022.

The Arctic Circle Japan Forum was originally scheduled to be held in the spring of 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made an in-person forum difficult, forcing the organizers to postponed the event three times. In the interim, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of SPF and the Secretariat of Arctic Circle actively collaborated on preparations, and in 2023, with the full support and enthusiasm of everyone involved, the event finally took place.

Under the theme of "Asia in the Future of the Arctic," the forum saw discussions on the challenges facing the Arctic Circle such as the melting of Arctic ice, which is having a serious impact on the planet. In addition, participants examined the role that countries in Asia could play in maintaining peaceful and cooperative relations in the Arctic Circle. More than 100 speakers from around 20 countries gathered for over 50 plenary and breakout sessions throughout the three-day event.
 
Many members of the Japanese Diet, including cabinet ministers, attended the opening session and gave speeches. The Chairman of the Arctic Circle, H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, praised this high level of participation as a positive sign that the future of the Arctic is important to Japan.

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, H.E. Keiko Nagaoka and Minister of Finance, H.E. Shunichi Suzuki, who is also the chair of the Parliamentary League for Arctic Frontier Study, both mentioned the Arctic research vessel that is scheduled to enter service in FY 2026. This arctic research vessel will be a Japanese ship with ice-breaking capabilities, allowing it to collect observation data and new knowledge even in sea areas with ice. They both expressed their hope that this ship will be used as an international observation platform for joint research with other countries, as well as a place for human resource development.
 
Honorable Hitoshi Kikawada, a member of the House of Representatives, mentioned that one of the central elements in the Fourth Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, which is scheduled to be revised in 2023, is the Arctic policy. Furthermore, he stated that Japan will continue moving forward with the three pillars for Arctic policy: research and development, international cooperation, and sustainable use.
 
For the closing of the first day, the session “'Long Way North’ and Arctic Marine Environmental Conservation” opened with a reading of a letter from Studio Ghibli and a screening of highlights from Long Way North, an animated film about the adventures of a girl who travelled to the North Pole to search for her missing grandfather. Honorable Tadahiko Ito, a member of the House of Representatives and executive director of the Parliamentary League for Arctic Frontier Study, said to the gathered participants, "I want people around the world to know the importance of the Arctic Circle and the significance of Indigenous issues. I want everyone here to tell their friends, family, and everyone they know about what you have learned through this forum."

The Arctic Council was established in 1996 by eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States) to promote cooperation on common issues such as sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic region. In addition to the member states, six organizations representing Arctic Indigenous Peoples have status as Permanent Participants. Japan, China, South Korea, India, and Singapore were granted observer status in 2013. 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the admission of these five Asian countries as observers.
 
In the session "Contributions of Observer States to the Future of the Arctic Council," Arctic practitioners from the five countries engaged in discussions on how observer states should contribute to the Arctic Council. As the chairmanship of the Arctic Council will change in 2023 from Russia to Norway, there were strong calls for the resumption of the council and its working groups. In addition, the speakers emphasized the need to promote joint contributions to the Arctic region, particularly around scientific cooperation, to address the challenges posed by climate change.
 
Discussions covered various themes related to the role of Asia. Dr. Xiang Gao, research fellow at OPRI, acted as chair for the session "Arctic Governance and Beyond: Asia's Role," which included research presented by Chinese researchers and others on topics including "Analysis of U.S. Arctic Policy," "Impact of the Invasion of Ukraine on the Arctic Council," "Peaceful Use of the Arctic Route," and "Management of Arctic Marine Microplastic Pollution." Microplastic waste has become an extremely serious concern in the marine environment, and there are plans for research on this to continue.

In the session "The Himalaya Third Pole Glaciers: Consequences for Weather and Seasons in Japan," the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal gave a presentation on the current status and challenges facing the so-called Third Pole, which was discussed at the Abu Dhabi Forum held in January 2023. This region encompasses the largest glacial area between the Arctic and Antarctic, covering an area of 60,000 square kilometers. As a result of global warming, temperatures are rising faster in this region than elsewhere, and it is estimated that a third to half of the glaciers in this region are in danger of disappearing by 2100. The speakers said that if the glaciers in this region melt and causes flood damage, this will impact 1.9 billion people living nearby. The Arctic Council is considering whether research on glaciers in the Arctic can be applied to this region. Dr. Hide Sakaguchi, president of OPRI, emphasized that, "I want to raise awareness that this is a problem that threatens the lives of many people in this region, and SPF intends to support this program."

The food-themed "Arctic and Asian Food Connections: Breaking Down Barriers" session highlighted various dishes made using Norwegian seafood. A video was shown of Dr. Sakaguchi introducing a dish featuring mackerel, a highly nutritious fish. He demonstrated a simple but tasty way to prepare it by placing mayonnaise, miso, truffle sauce, and other ingredients on top and baking it in an oven. Concerned about the declining catch of mackerel in Japan due to rising sea temperatures and the fact that young people are turning away from fish, the participants offered quick ideas such as using fillets as pizza toppings.
 
The speakers also noted that it is essential to make knowledge about fisheries more easily accessible to consumers in order to connect the Arctic region and Asia through cuisine, arguing that food is the perfect method for cultural exchanges.

In the closing session on the final day, Chairman Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and SPF President Atsushi Sunami held an open dialogue in which participants on the floor engaged in a lively discussion.
 
When asked about the role of SPF, President Sunami emphasized the significance of the foundation’s work when dialogue and cooperation between governments are not working well. He explained that it is the role of SPF as a private foundation and the mission of Arctic Circle to promote cooperation among Indigenous communities in the Arctic, countries in the Arctic Circle, and non-Arctic countries.
 
Chairman Grímsson emphasized that countries in Asia and Africa, home to 75% of the world's population, and especially their urban energy systems will determine the future of the Arctic, making greater involvement by countries in Asia critical to addressing climate change issues in the Arctic. President Sunami also noted that Arctic issues are attracting attention in Pacific island countries and expressed his intention to support their participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
 
Closing the forum, Chairman Grímsson thanked the participants for clearly demonstrating the importance of dialogue and engagement in the forum, for which every single participant is a spokesperson, and he expressed his expectations for the active participation of various stakeholders in the future.