CONCERNED, BUT NOT AFRAID: Andreas Østhagen, Senior Researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute and Arctic Security Conference organizer. Photo by Fridtjof Nansen Institute.
On Thursday and Friday, the world's leading Arctic experts will gather at the House of Literature in Oslo to discuss security policy challenges in the High North.
The High North Center at Nord University is one of the co-organizers of the conference, which aims to contribute to an informed debate on security policy in the north.
Andreas Østhagen, senior researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and affiliated with the High North Center, is one of the key persons behind the conference.
He says that the question of war in the Arctic will be central to the debate.
– We should be concerned and attentive, but not afraid, says Østhagen.
– We are neighbors to Russia's nuclear weapons. Should a war escalate, we are a central piece in handling Russia. At the same time, Russia hardly wants a large-scale war, and NATO countries' capabilities and unity in the north have improved significantly.
Raising the Perspective
The conference aims to discuss how to avoid war in the north, what the real danger of conflict is, and how different countries and societies handle this danger.
An important aspect is to look beyond the Norwegian High North and show the contrasts and differences to, for example, the Canadian Arctic, says Østhagen.
He points out that there are many large Arctic conferences that cover a lot, and many small seminars on individual topics.
– But we thought that a gathering of world experts working on geo- and security politics in the north was both a good and necessary idea.
– We want to make Oslo people aware of the High North and the Arctic, and a conference in Oslo is one way to do that!
Speakers from Several Arctic Nations
The conference includes panels with leading researchers, politicians, and military experts from several Arctic nations. Among the speakers are Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and representatives from the USA, Canada, and Finland.
While the conference primarily focuses on security policy, it is noted that these issues have an impact on business and community development in the north.
The conference is therefore seen as an opportunity to bridge security policy assessments and practical consequences for the population in the High North.
– The connection with business and community development is obvious: geo- and security politics set guidelines and frameworks for what is possible at local, regional, and national levels.
Jan-Oddvar Sørnes, acting leader at the High North Center, emphasizes the importance of the center's participation:
– As a co-organizer, we see this conference as an important arena for us. Our primary focus is on the implications for business and society at large. It's important that we are present where the High North is discussed, but with a focus on our core areas.
Østhagen emphasizes the importance of including competence environments from Northern Norway, such as the High North Center.
– My connection to the High North Center helps keep me anchored in the north, he explains.
The Arctic Security Conference 2024 starts on Thursday and will also be streamed live for a wider audience.
