Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Confce starts today

The biannual Arctic Spirit Conference begins today in Rovaniemi.

This international conference is the most important Arctic event of Finland’s centenary year and is closely linked to Finland’s assumption of the Arctic Council’s chair, said a press release.

The Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit 2017 on November 14-16 will discuss how to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the Arctic region. The conference will address this issue through education, well-being of young people, identity of citizens, and land use, among other things.

The participants will also reflect how to make better use of research in Arctic decision-making and how to intensify regional cooperation down to the city level.

“We focus on the themes that are important to Finland during the Arctic Council Chairmanship. We also want to dig up fresh ideas and topics that are not usually discussed at Arctic meetings in the world, such as the role of the media or the Arctic identity,” said Conference Director Markku Heikkilä of the Arctic Centre.

Approximately 300 participants from more than 20 countries will attend the convention. The official programme will open on November 15 with the address of Foreign Minister Timo Soini.

The UN will be represented at the inaugural ceremony by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova. Among other dignitaries, the new Ambassador of EU to the Arctic Marie-Anne Coninsx and French Ambassador to the Arctic and Antarctic Ségoléne Royal will also attend the opening ceremony along with a large number of diplomats and Arctic experts from different countries taking part.

The Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit conference is organised by the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre and the City of Rovaniemi.

“We are delighted to be organising the most significant Arctic event in the centenary of Finland’s independence in Rovaniemi, where the Arctic co-operation took its first steps almost 30 years ago. With this conference that we are organising for the third time, we continue and maintain the tradition of the so-called Rovaniemi process,” said Rovaniemi Mayor Esko Lotvonen.