Navigating towards a secure and sustainable future
logo
Mistra Geopolitics
logo
  • About
    • Programme
    • Team
    • Board
    • Partners
    • Stakeholders
  • Geopolitics
    • Background
    • Challenges
  • Research Themes
    • Food security
    • Sustainable Oceans
    • Decarbonization
    • Foresight
  • Our research
    • Publications
    • Work Packages
    • Researchers
    • Research School
    • Annual reports
      • 2021
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
  • Latest
    • News
    • Podcast
    • Events
    • Videos
  • Contact
News
What role do Civil Society Organizations play in Arctic governance?
February 6, 2023 by Ana Calvo in News

Emilie Broek, Research Analyst at SIPRI, presented new research findings at the Arctic Frontiers Conference held in Tromsø, Norway. 

Emilie Broek presented at the scientific session on “Adaptive management of rapidly changing Arctic ecosystems using interdisciplinary and system-science approaches”. Broek delivered the presentation “The Involvement of Civil Society Organizations in Arctic Governance.”

The SIPRI Insights paper is an output from the Mistra Geopolitics programme, co-written with Dr. Nicholas Olczak and Prof. Lisa Dellmuth from Stockholm University. Emelie, Nicholas and Lisa are all part of the Sustainable Oceans research team within Mistra Geopolitics.

Emilie Broek, Research Analyst at SIPRI presenting at the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromsø, Norway. Photo: Arctic Frontiers.
Emilie Broek, Research Analyst at SIPRI presenting at the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromsø, Norway. Photo: Arctic Frontiers.

The investigation explores the role Civil Society Organizations play in the governance of the Arctic, such as indigenous people organisations and environmental NGOs. In addition, the research examines what legitimacy beliefs these organisations have and how these can impact their participation in Arctic governance.

What is the role Civil Society Organizations play in Arctic governance?

Based on the research findings, Civil Society Organizations monitor the regional commitments made within the Arctic region, strengthen the implementation of policies, engage in various types of advocacy, support information sharing, and provide input during geopolitical crises.

Another role civil society organizations take is creating awareness of the importance of protecting both the Arctic environment and its inhabitants, which can lead to changes in regulation on renewable energy projects, commercial fishing, transport of heavy oil and protection of marine wildlife, to name a few.

Improving governance in the Arctic Council

According to a survey conducted in Sweden, members of Civil Society Organisations have the least confidence in Arctic cooperation compared to other stakeholders such as those working in public administration, research and political institutions.

“Although Civil Society Organizations engage in the Arctic Council, we found that this participation is sometimes passive and limited. Therefore, to increase the legitimacy of the Arctic Council it’s important to strengthen this participation and to build participatory ways to disclose information,” said Emilie Broek, Research Analyst at SIPRI and in the Sustainable Oceans team of Mistra Geopolitics.

Image

Mistra Geopolitics researchers on Sustainable Oceans

SIPRI

Emilie Broek

Stockholm University

Nicholas Olczak

Stockholm University

Lisa Dellmuth

SIPRI

Emilie Broek

Emilie Broek is a Research Assistant with SIPRI’s Climate Change and Risk Programme. Her research focuses on international organizations and their responses to climate-related security risks. She is a part of Work Package 2 on Sustainable Oceans, working specifically on Project 2.3: Geopolitical Impacts on State and Stakeholder Views on Arctic Governance.

Stockholm University

Nicholas Olczak

Nicholas Olczak is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Economic History and International Relations at Stockholm University. He is also an associate fellow of the Asia Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). His research interests include East Asian international relations, global governance and international cooperation on climate change, and constructivist theory.

Stockholm University

Lisa Dellmuth

Lisa Dellmuth is a Professor of International Relations at Stockholm University. Lisa is leading the Research School of Mistra Geopolitics. Her research focuses on legitimacy and redistribution in global governance, and global climate change solutions. She leads the 5-year research program GlocalClim (Glocalizing Climate Governance: The role of Integrated Governance for a Just and Legitimate Adaptation to Climate Risks) funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Formas).

Telephone:+46 8 161 076

Read the SIPRI Insight paper
More about the conference

Text by Ana Calvo, Communications Assistant, and edited by Ylva Rylander, Communications Officer at SEI.

Ana Calvo

Latest news

  • Geopolitics and decarbonization: global actors and local impacts March 3, 2023
  • Highlights from the Mistra Geopolitics annual conference 2023 March 3, 2023
  • What role do Civil Society Organizations play in Arctic governance? February 6, 2023
  • Film: How can artificial intelligence contribute to Agenda 2030? December 16, 2022
  • COP27 post-match analysis: What has the media missed? December 8, 2022
  • Security for whom? Dr. Zhou’s reflections on conflicting narratives around security November 30, 2022
  • How do international organizations respond to climate risks? November 25, 2022
  • Film: The geopolitics of decarbonization, finance and trade November 7, 2022
  • Launch seminar for new report on climate, migration and political choices November 3, 2022
  • Information challenges for humanitarian response to climate shocks in fragile settings November 1, 2022
logo
© Mistra Geopolitics 2023
logo

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Contact us Mistra Geopolitics
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Cookie Policy

More information about Cookie Policy