Управление устойчивым развитием в Арктике

Abstract

Sustainable development in the Arctic is based on formation of regime and mechanisms for enhancing the circumpolar regional cooperation of the rim-states and for diversification of interactions between stakeholders in implementation of 2030 sustainable development goals. Coordination and integration of their regional and domestic environmental and socio-economic priorities is a key for this endeavor. The success of innovative architecture for sustainability governance system depends to a high extent on scrupulous taking into account the specifics of the polar context, and growing interdependence with expanding involvement of the Arctic into the global economy. Effective regional instrument in this respect is the Arctic Council: the outcomes presented for its recent 25-year anniversary indicate that its focus on integrated scientific assessment of major trends and synergies between ongoing dynamic changes in fragile Arctic ecosystems and their consequences for transformations in socio-economic systems had produced unique results. Accumulated knowledge and practices are among the core foundations for multi-level decision-making process by its participants (arctic states, permanent participants, observers) for sustainability governance design and sustainability regime formation, benefiting at the same time the coordination of various approaches towards human responses to regional challenges. In fact the sustainable development agenda has been turning into a red thread across activities of the Arctic Council and its working groups, as well as within its innovative strategic planning up to 2030. Recent geopolitical drivers, however, might contribute to disintegration trends in the region, and negatively affect implementation of its sustainability strategy. So far, the Arctic Council is pausing all official meetings until further notice.