History

Third Northern Regions Conference: Cooperation in a Changing World

September, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A.

With the dramatic opening of the Soviet Union to the outside world, northern Russia provided the final piece of the puzzle in the movement to create a permanent "Voice of Northern Regions." Some 600 delegates to this third conference concluded that historical northern trans-border cooperation, largely sporadic and ad hoc in nature, was an anachronism. Participants recommended that a permanent regional organization by the name of the Northern Forum be established.

This organization was intended to act as a mechanism "to improve the quality of local, national, and international decision-making regarding northern issues by providing a means through which northern voices can be heard at all stages of the process."

Delegates also hoped that the Northern Forum would "offer opportunities to exchange ideas, solve common problems, and plan cooperative initiatives regarding issues that are unique to the North."

During the proceedings, several issues of common concern were identified as having priority within the scope of a northern regional organization's activities:

• Environmental assessment, monitoring and research.
• Pollution prevention and clean-up.
• Human resources, including culture, education, and health.
• Cooperative management of northern renewable natural resources.
• Northern technology and engineering.
• Physical infrastructure, including northern communications and transportation systems.

Furthermore, it was decided that the Northern Forum would locate its main office, or Secretariat, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Constituent Assembly of the Northern Forum

November. Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A.

The Founding Protocol and Statutes of the North Forum Non-Profit Corporation were registered by the Alaska State Government of the United States of America on November 8, 1991, and the North Forum Non-Profit Organization Certificate was issued on November 29, 1991.

The founding protocol consists of 11 articles and is signed by all founders - members of the Board of Directors of the Northern Forum.

As this document shows, 13 representatives of northern regions from 8 countries: W.Hikel (Alaska, USA), T.Penikett (Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada), I.Yutreland (Tondheim, Novergia), F.Bierkan (Landsdelsutvalget, Bodo, Ussr) A. Krashakov (Chukotka, USSR), Zh.Tinong (Heilongjiang, China), D.Dagwasuren (Choibalsan, Mongolia), M. Suzuki (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan) adopted and signed the Charter of the Northern Forum.

The Northern Forum Secretariat was established in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

The first executive director of the Northern Forum from 1992 to 1995, Steve Shropshire

The first General Northern Forum Assembly

October, province of Tromsø, Norway

The I General Assembly signed and approved the Tromso Declaration.

The Tromsø Declaration (Norway), adopted by the first General Forum of the Northern Forum in 1993, supported and joined the implementation of the principles of the 21st Century Agenda of the United Nations (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Then for the first time the following areas of cooperation were identified: 1) Ecology of the North; 2) The Northern Sea Route; 3) Economic development; 4) Culture; 5) Science; 6) Cooperation of national and regional governments.

In 1993 The Finland-Sakha Friendship society was created. The goal was to promote the development of effective cooperation in the fields of culture, economics, and environmental protection.

Sakhalin Oblast is a member of the Northern Forum

1993 – 2004 - Sakhalin Oblast is a member of the Northern Forum. During the membership period, the Sakhalin Oblast took part in all the main events and meetings of the Northern Forum.

Walter Joseph Hickel became General Secretary of the Northern Forum 1997-2010

After the main Secretariat of the Northern Forum was opened in anchorage, Alaska, USA), branches of the Secretariat – in Bodo (Norway), in Rovaniemi (Lapland, Finland), in Yakutsk (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia) and in St. Petersburg (Russia).

In recent years, there have been two innovations in the structure of the organization concerning former presidents northern forum.

Thus, in 1994 the post of General Secretary of the Northern Forum was introduced, in 2001 an Advisory Council was established. Mr. Walter  Hickel became General Secretary. The Advisory Board automatically includes the former chairmen of the Northern Forum – W. Hickel, M. E. Nikolaev.

Northern Forum Academy established at the initiative of Northern Norway

1994 – 2009 – Alberta, Canada is a member of the Northern Forum.

In January 1994, the organization was accredited to the United Nations as a non-governmental organization.

In January 1994, the organization was accredited to the United Nations as a non-governmental organization. In September of the same year, Mr. Hickel addressed the 47th Annual Meeting of the United Nations Division of Public Information of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in New York (USA) and met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Ghali.

In November 2002, M.E. Nikolayev, Chairman of the Northern Forum, President of the Republic of Saha (Yakutia) delivered a report "To develop and improve international humanitarian cooperation" at the 57th session of the UN General Assembly entitled "Strengthening of coordination in the field of emergency humanitarian assistance of the UN."

The Northern Forum was granted an observer status in the Arctic Council.

The Northern Forum actively participates in the work of the Arctic Council as a permanent observer. Participation in the Arctic Forum allows the Northern Forum to conduct joint projects and be involved in interstate projects and programs.

Role of observers:

• Observers shall be invited to the meetings of the Arctic Council once observer status has been granted.
• While the primary role of observers is to observe the work of the Arctic Council, observers should continue to make relevant contributions through their engagement in the Arctic Council primarily at the level of Working Groups.
• Observers may propose projects through an Arctic State or a Permanent Participant but financial contributions from observers to any given project may not exceed the financing from Arctic States, unless otherwise decided by the SAOs.
• In meetings of the Council’s subsidiary bodies to which observers have been invited to participate, observers may, at the discretion of the Chair, make statements after Arctic states and Permanent Participants, present written statements, submit relevant documents and provide views on the issues under discussion. Observers may also submit written statements at Ministerial meetings.

First International Congress on Northern Farming

15-17 August, Republic of Sakha Yakutia, Yakutsk

At the II Circumpolar International Conference on Agriculture (Norway, 1995) and at the plenary meeting of the Northern Forum (Japan, 1995), the delegations of the Republic made a proposal on the need to consolidate the scientific and production efforts of all high-latitude countries in the development of northern agriculture on a planetary scale.

The Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has decided to hold the I International Congress on Northern Farming on 15-17 August 1996 in the city of Yakutsk.

Reindeer- breeding of the People of Arctic and North [Priority Project of the Northern Forum]

29 august 1996

Details of the project:

• comporative researching reindeer-breeding cultures for search the way of survival;
• studying technology of keeping reindeer and exposure optimal form of management;
• search of effective methods of purchase, processing and realization of production of this branch of economy;
• creation World Informational Centre and bank of informations on reindeer-breeding;
• studying mutual relation domestic and wild reindeers;
• preservation genefond of valueable species and populations of reindeers;
• organisation scientific-production experimental stationary of the International Institute of the Reindeer-breeding in Yakutsk area.

Canada is a member of the Northern Forum

1997 – 2003 Northwest Territories, Canada are members of Northern Forum

The Secretariat of the Northern forum from Bodo (Norway) was transferred to Rovaniemi (Finland)

December, Rovaniemi, Finland

The executive director of the Northern Forum from 1998 to 2001, John Doyle

Adoption of the resolution of the Northern Forum on the principles of tourism in the North.

June, Rovaniemi, Finland

In June 1999, during the lV General Assembly, a business conference was held in Rovaniemi (Lapland province, Finland). The conference included two seminars: international financing and tourism development in the North. The result of the conference was the adoption of the resolution of the Northern Forum on the principles of tourism in the North.

St. Petersburg became a member of the Northern Forum.

June 1999 - St. Petersburg became a member of the Northern Forum. Rovaniemi (Finland). The idea of ​​opening the Secretariat of the Northern Forum in St. Petersburg in order to coordinate the activities of the Northern Forum in the North-Western part of the Russian Federation was supported.