A Consultation on Circumpolar Issues
Hadi Dowlatabadi (Liu Faculty, UBC), ACX/Simon, Lloyd Axworthy
April 10, 2002
The Arctic consultation was attended by a diverse group of participants including physical scientists, social scientists, practitioners and government.
Three speakers introduced the agenda for discussion. The Hon. Lloyd Axworthy (Liu Institute) framed the day’s discussion by giving a history of his involvement in circumpolar issues and DFAIT initiatives while he was Minister. He challenged participants to “fill out the framework” of the Northern Dimension of Canada’s Foreign Policy (NDFP) to address emerging issues reinforcing that the NDFP was purposely constructed to be flexible in addressing new issues.
ACX/Simon gave an overview of Arctic Council structures and the need for its work to be relevant to the constituents it serves – making science relevant to policy makers and northerners so that informed decisions can be taken.
Dr. Hadi Dowlatabadi (UBC) provided a snapshot of rapid environmental change affecting people using the example of small island states and the Arctic Council’s SLICA (Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic) study highlighting that the environmental problems faced are largely imported from other parts of the world.
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