II Meeting of the Northern Forum’s Governors "Sustainable Development of the Northern Regions" will be held within the framework of the V International Arctic Forum "The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue"

The Northern Forum is an international organization which brings together regional governments in the circumpolar North. It is a platform for cooperation and exchange of experience and best practices in order to improve the quality of life and promote the sustainable development of cold regions. The Northern Forum was established in the early 1990s and became an important stakeholder which is strengthening and expanding non-political dialogue between governors of the Arctic and northern regions of different countries, heads of municipalities and organizations.

In 2013–2018 the Forum broadened its membership almost twofold and it currently has 14 member regions. The Forum also established relations with other Arctic-related companies and organizations, which allowed it to enlarge its business partnership and to set a foundation for future joint projects and collaborations. Currently the Northern Forum unites ten regions of the Russian Federation, Akureyri (Iceland), Alaska (USA), Gangwon (Republic of Korea), Lapland (Finland), and 12 business partners from Iceland, Norway, Russia, USA, Finland, France, Japan

On April 10, 2019, the Board of Governors – the highest policy-making body of the Northern Forum – will gather at the 2nd Meeting of Governors of the Northern Forum, which will be held in Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation. During the Meeting the Board of Governors will discuss sustainable development of the northern regions and the new Northern Forum strategy. The Northern Forum strategy identifies the aim, objectives, key directions for the development of the Northern Forum until 2030, the main mechanisms for the implementation of priority tasks and key indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the organization’s activities towards renewal.

The I meeting of the Governors within framework of the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue" was held in 2017, Arkhangelsk, Russia. The issues of integration of regions of the Arctic and the North, exchange of experience and best practices were discussed. During the discussion, problems of transportation, ecology were reviewed, and solutions to major economic problems and the development of productive forces in the Arctic were proposed. The conversation was about improving the quality of life of people, developing forms of support for indigenous peoples of the North, about new approaches to infrastructural development in the regions, about best practices in different countries of the world and regions of Russia.

Leaders and representatives of the Northern Forum’s member-regions, regional coordinators, business partners and experts will attend the 2nd Meeting of Governors. Also representatives of the Arctic and non-Arctic states, Russian and international organizations are invited to participate.

THE NORTHERN FORUM

II MEETING OF GOVERNORS

“SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHERN REGIONS”

Date: April 10, 2019

Time: 9:00-10:30

Venue: ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, hall B2

64/1, Peterburgskoye Shosse, St. Petersburg

Agenda:

Not only international partnership, but also interregional cooperation can make a difference in the Arctic. The Northern Forum is a large international nongovernmental organization that brings together Governors of the Northern regions; it has observer status in the Arctic Council and consultative status in the UN ECOSOC. The Northern Forum is a key platform for enhancing and broadening a non-political dialogue among Governors of the Arctic and Northern regions, leaders of municipalities and organizations.

On April 10, 2019, the Board of Governors – the highest policy-making body of the Northern Forum – will gather at the 2nd Meeting of Governors of the Northern Forum, which will be held in Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation. During the Meeting the Board of Governors will discuss sustainable development of the northern regions and the new Northern Forum strategy. The Northern Forum strategy identifies the aim, objectives, key directions for the development of the Northern Forum until 2030, the main mechanisms for the implementation of priority tasks and key indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the organization’s activities towards renewal.

The focal points for Northern Forum to become strong platform for the Arctic regions to operate are following:

• • Launch tangible and realistic approach to implement the strategy in to practice in all levels,
• • Take better use of the observatory status in the Arctic Council,
• • To have clear approach to collaborate with other main Arctic international players,
• • Plan and implement the visibly actions supporting the external and internal acknowledgment,
• • Demonstrate the benefit of being the member of the Northern Forum: regional leaders and business developers.

 OPENING WORDS

Aleksandr Tsybulsky – Governor of Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Chair of the Northern Forum

WELCOME

-          Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

-          The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

-          Nikolay Kharitonov,– Chairman, State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Problems of North and Far East, Russian Federation

DISCUSSION

GOVERNORS:

-          Aisen Nikolaev, Head of the Sakha Republic, Vice-Chair of the Northern Forum

-          Ásthildur Sturludóttir, Mayor of Akureyri, Iceland, Vice-Chair of the Northern Forum

-          Natalia Komarova, Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Vice-Chair of the Northern Forum

-          Dmitriy Artykhov, Governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

-          Roman Kopin, Governor – Chair of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Government

-          Sergey Furgal, Governor of Khabarovsk Krai

-          Sergey Nosov, Governor of Magadan Oblast

-          Aleksandr Uss, Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai

-          Vladimir Ilyukhin, Governor – Chair of the Kamchatka Krai Government

EXPERTS:

-          Aleksandr Pilyasov, Doctor of Geographic Sciences, Professor of Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Director of the Center of Northern and Arctic Economies at the Council for Research of Productive Forces, Chair of the Russian Section of European Regional Science Association, Vice-Chair of the Expert Council on Arctic and Antarctic under the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

-          Kjell Stokvik, Managing Director, CHNL / Nord University Business School, Norway

-          Lars Kullerud, President of the University of the Arctic

-          Lassi Heininen, Professor of Arctic Politics at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland (Finland), Chair of the Steering Committee of the Northern Research Forum

-          Timo Rautajoki,, President and CEO, Lapland Chamber of Commerce, Finland

-          Frode Mellemvik, Director, High North School for Business and Governance of the Business School at Nord University, Norway

-          Halldor Johannsson, Director of the Arctic Portal, Iceland

APPROVAL OF THE NORTHERN FORUM STRATEGY 2030

GROUP PHOTO