The 9th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region will take place in the European Parliament 13-15 September 2010. An updated draft programme is available: Click here.

The next meeting of SCPAR will take place in Oslo 7 June 2010. The first item on the agenda is an introduction to the Norwegian Arctic Policy by Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

The Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region met in Washington D.C. the 18 March. On the agenda was oil and gas development in Alaska and a presentation of the US Arctic policy directive. 

The next meeting in SCPAR will be in Washington DC 18 March 2010. SCPAR will also have a meeting in Oslo 7 June 2010.

At the meeting of the Standing Committee in Helsinki 18-19 November, the Committee was introduced to the following topics: Northern Dimension partnership on transport and logistics; the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment; and the University of the Arctic.

The Standing Committee will have its next meeting in Helsinki 18-19 November 2009. At a workshop 18th November, the focus will be UNCLOS and the geology of the Arctic.

At the meeting in Ilulissat 27 May, Mr. Hannes Manninen was elected as new Chair of SCPAR. Mr. Manninen is a member of the Finnish parliament and has a long and distinguished career as a parliamentarian and a minister. Mr. Manninen succeeds Ms Hill-Marta Solberg as Chair of the Standing Committee. He will be chair until the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region meets in 2010.

Ms. Juliane Henningsen was appointed as SCPARs rapporteur on climate change. Representing Denmark/Greenland in the Standing Committee Ms Henningsen will follow the climate change related work of the Danish Chairmanship in the Arctic Council and the preparations for the COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The Chair of SCPAR Ms Hill-Marta Solberg attended the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Tromsø 29 April 2009. In her statement she called for annual ministerial meetings in the Arctic Council.

The next meeting of the Standing Committee will be in Ilulissat, Greenland 27 May 2009.