As an annual conference on Arctic issues held in Brussels for the benefit of the European Institutions as the EU continues to develop its policy on the Arctic, the Arctic Futures Symposium features dozens of Arctic experts and stakeholders, including several Senior Arctic Officials and other key policymakers from Arctic states and the European Union, representatives from indigenous communities across the Arctic, scientists and academics, and representatives from industries operating in the Arctic.

The morning of Tuesday 14 October will feature opening speeches from high-level speakers. Dr. Olav Orheim, Chair of GRID-Arendal, will then lead a roundtable discussion with representatives from the Arctic Council nations, their territories, and the European External Action Service. In the afternoon, sessions on maritime safety in the Arctic and scientific research to inform policymakers will be held.

The morning of Wednesday 15 October will begin with a roundtable discussion between members of Arctic indigenous communities and Members of the European Parliament. The remaining sessions of the day will focus on the economies of different regions of the Arctic.

The symposium will close with a keynote speech by Vice-President of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) climatologist, Professor Jean-Pascale van Ypersele.

A list of confirmed speakers and a draft programme is available on the Arctic Futures Symposium website.

All who are interested in Arctic issues are welcome to attend.

While entry is free of charge, seating space is limited. The last seats of the symposium are filling up, so if you would like to attend and you haven’t already registered (you should have received a confirmation email), then please make sure that you register via our website.  Registrations will close this coming Friday, 11 October.

Please indicate which days you plan to attend. This will greatly facilitate logistics for the organisers.

If you have any questions regarding the Arctic Futures Symposium, or if you have issues registering, please don’t hesitate to contact us at events@polarfoundaiton.org.