Toespraak van minister Koenders bij symposium SEES in Spitsbergen

Toespraak | 28-08-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am excited to be here with you. Excited to be here on Svalbard and excited to address a group like yours, scientists and artists, tourists and journalists, from the Netherlands and Norway. Even though I have been here only three hours, I am already inspired to remain committed to one of the key cornerstones of Dutch Arctic policy: preservation of this unique environment.

A small story to break the ice:

Like many Dutch boys and girls I grew up with and learnt to admire the image of Willem Barentsz: the Dutch navigator, cartographer and Arctic explorer who gave his name to a sea not far from here. We were all inspired by his courage and drive to discover cold and inhospitable areas. His discovery of Svalbard or ‘Spitsbergen’ as he named it – meaning ‘pointed mountains’ in Dutch - and his isolation for more than nine months on Novaya Zemlya perfectly illustrate the spirit of adventure and curiosity which reigned at that time.

These historic events were the start of the Netherlands’ long lasting interest and recently also commitment to the Arctic. That is why I am so particularly pleased to be here today with you in this fascinating, beautiful and thriving part of Norway, looking at the same ‘pointed mountains’ Barentsz saw. The Dutch still come here, but nowadays they mainly arrive on comfortable cruise ships and sip cappuccinos in the fashionable coffee shops on the main street in Longyearbyen.

Today, however, sees the arrival again of a real Dutch polar expedition. This time there are no bearded, haggard and hungry sailors landing on these shores, instead we have more than 70 sophisticated (and hopefully well-fed) explorers, scientists, policy makers, journalists and even - a poet. The SEES expedition, organised by the University of Groningen Arctic Centre in collaboration with the Willem Barentsz Polar Institute and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, is the largest Arctic expedition in the history of Dutch science, all in the spirit of the first explorers, and fitted out with the new hipster beard here and there.

Their aim is to investigate climate change and archaeological sites, and monitor vegetation and animal populations on the island of Edgeøya. As we all know the Arctic region is the canary in the coalmine. It gives us early alarm signals about the effects of climate change and global warming. Glaciers are melting at a rapid pace and polar bears are struggling to find food in changing conditions and rising temperatures. The stakes are high for the region which is bearing the brunt of worldwide climate change and the rest of the planet and indigenous Arctic communities who are facing numerous challenges.

Even if the physics are the same we need models, interdisciplinary work, enthousiasm plus morality

It is a great privilege for me to be here today and tomorrow to get firsthand information about the effects of climate change in this extremely vulnerable part of the world and to see the recent fundamental change in the Arctic. And for that I would like to thank my Norwegian friend and colleague, Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. When we met in The Hague in May and were discussing the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris at the end of this year, he kindly invited me to come here, so I could see the consequences of climate change for myself. So here we are in the run-up to COP 21 in Paris, where I am not only hoping for a positive outcome, but where the Netherlands will actively promote this outcome. Being here helps me to strengthen this resolve. We have an obligation to you, to this area, to the world. The precautionary principle and strict interpretation of sustainability criteria for new development in this area are the key words.

Tomorrow Børge and I will visit the Kings Bay research station at Ny-Alesund. This is where my country and thirteen other nations have been working and conducting research since 1995. Over the years, Norway has led the way. It has made a priority of promoting science and research in the Arctic. I applaud the role it plays as a leading member of the Arctic Council. I also greatly appreciate Norway’s recognition of the role of non-Arctic observer states sitting on the Arctic Council. It is my firm belief that these states can contribute to Arctic cooperation through various endeavours, scientific or otherwise.

Given our historic connections to the Arctic, it will not surprise you that the Netherlands was one of the first to become an observer country on the Arctic Council. And I am proud to say that we have remained an active and supportive observer ever since. Right now, the Dutch government is working on a new five-year Arctic policy strategy. The strategy will reflect the importance of ongoing research, not least as a source of inspiration for Dutch international activities in general. There is increased interest among Dutch scholars and society in what is happening in the Arctic So this expedition comes at the right time. I am looking forward to hearing some of the results and early findings.

One person we must thank for raising the profile of the Arctic in the Netherlands is the godfather of Dutch Arctic research, Professor Louwrens Hacquebord, who is here with us today. An Arctic researcher who has followed in the footsteps of Barentsz but, unlike his predecessor, has lived to tell the tale! He has inspired many others, who have sought to share in his knowledge of the Arctic and climate change.

For me, it is extremely useful for me to be here. To talk to you, to learn from you, and witness climate change from a front row seat, today in Longyearbyen and tomorrow in Ny-Alesund. The consequences of climate change are not only ecological or economic. They are also strategic and ultimately even related to national security. That is why I want to be involved as minister of foreign affaris. They affect societies as a whole: political relations within countries. Within societies. In that sense, climate change is part of the core business of ministers of foreign affairs.

It is no coincidence that my US counterpart - Secretary of State John Kerry - is hosting the GLACIER conference in Alaska next week. He has invited a number of ministers from all over the world to talk about the consequences of climate change for the Arctic region, and what they will mean for the rest of the planet. Neither should be underestimated. I feel privileged that I will be present at the conference to share the thoughts and concerns of many Dutch.

But thoughts and concerns that need to be informed by facts, by science, by rigorous thinking. Recent findings of a report by the independent Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) on the future of the Arctic region have strengthened the Dutch government’s positions. The report, available online in Dutch and English, contains a lot of interesting information and recommendations. My ministry will make use of these recommendations in the new Arctic strategy, which will run from 2016 to 2020.

Let me conclude by reiterating how important the Arctic is to the Netherlands. We have a clear interest contributing to international cooperation, so as to ensure sustainable management of the entire Arctic region. The law of the sea, peaceful resolution of conflict and international law are the key words for the Dutch government.

Sustainable management starts with knowledge, and knowledge starts with research. And that’s where you come in: your work is of vital importance for policymakers. We need you to provide us with the facts, the science and the rigorous thinking. In other words: Your work puts the Netherlands on the Arctic map, and I’d like to thank you for that.

A final remark: Arctic conditions are still harsh. Just recently two Dutch Arctic explorers drowned in Canada. A tragic loss which reminds us that the conditions are still extraordinary and polar research is extremely dangerous. That makes you all heroes in my book.

I'd like to thank you for your continued commitment and wish you every success. We have to maintain Europe’s largest wilderness area.

Thank you.