C 132/126
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
24.3.2022
Thursday 7 October 2021
48.
Expresses its regret at the Russian Government’s efforts to subordinate civil society, which is having a very negative impact on indigenous peoples by limiting the autonomy of their representations and partnerships in international forums, blocking access to external funds; notes that similar problems affect other NGOs, including environmental activists;
49.
States that all activities in the Arctic region, including management and sustainable use of Arctic natural resources, should respect the rights of and benefit indigenous peoples and other local inhabitants; advocates, in this regard, for a stronger link between businesses operating in the Arctic and local communities in order to create economic and research opportunities and jobs, and foster the sustainable development of resources, and supports the implementation of standards such as the Arctic Investment Protocol and the UN Global Compact Initiative; recalls the existing international instruments that establish states’ jurisdictions, rights and obligations for the management and sustainable use of natural resources and insists that these instruments continue to be fully respected; stresses the importance of ensuring people-to-people cooperation, access to education and business opportunities and support for young people in the Arctic;
50.
Highlights the importance of addressing the aspirations, needs and challenges faced by local populations, notably in terms of people-to-people cooperation, connectivity, access to the internet, education, healthcare and employment, particularly for young people and marginalised groups; highlights the need for the updated Arctic policy to incorporate an ambitious gender dimension; calls for the funding of programmes such as ‘north2north’ and other mobility programmes directed especially towards young people living in the Arctic to be strengthened, and for greater support and resources to help the peoples of the Arctic adapt to the profound changes driven by climate change;
51.
Reiterates its call on all the remaining Member States to ratify without delay ILO Convention No 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples;
Science and knowledge
52.
Calls on Arctic states to meet their commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, in particular with regard to in-situ conservation; calls on all states to ensure that indigenous peoples and local communities of the Artic are included in the deliberation and decision-making processes of the relevant international climate and biodiversity diplomacy forums; supports the recommendation of indigenous peoples to have direct access to funds from the Green Climate Fund for their sustainable mitigation and adaptation initiatives;
53.
Underlines the important contributions from the EU and its Member States to polar science, which will be necessary to understand the global and local effects of climate change and the importance of knowledge as a fundament for political decisions and sustainable development in the Arctic; reiterates the call from the 14th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region to strengthen the knowledge base and improve scientific cooperation with a new International Polar Year initiative; supports international efforts on science, knowledge and innovation with an Arctic dimension, and cooperation on research in the Arctic, such as the conclusion and implementation of the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation;
54.
Notes that the EU has been a major financial contributor to Arctic research through programmes such as Horizon 2020; stresses the need to increase EU funding for Arctic research and development; calls for greater visibility for and coordination of Arctic-oriented research and innovation, including in Horizon Europe; calls on the Commission to provide a comprehensive overview of EU funding dedicated to the region and the Arctic components of horizontal EU programmes and urges the EU to implement an ambitious, forward-looking and environmentally sustainable investment plan for the Arctic; believes that such a plan should increase funding in key areas such as scientific research and allocate more funding to Arctic research, development and innovation, space, digital and transport infrastructure, space technologies, sustainable shipping, sustainable extraction and processing of raw materials, renewable energy and other low-carbon activities, and tourism; highlights the need for improved synergies between existing financing instruments in order to prevent possible duplications, and to maximise interaction between internal and external EU programmes;
55.
Notes that the Arctic offers huge potential for innovation and sustainable use of resources, developing practices which can thereafter be implemented globally, and that it is a test-bed for, among other things, geothermal, wind and hydro projects, the carbon-free production of steel, and greener battery production; recognises the contribution of EU space programmes such as Copernicus, Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service and satellite communications to environmental, maritime and human safety and security in the Arctic through enabling, along other