Looking North: Northern England and the National Imagination (Studies in Popular Culture)

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The framework reiterates that the UK will remain an active, influential and reliable partner in the Arctic. It also outlined our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that increasing access to the region and its resources is managed safely, sustainably and responsibly. It builds in the Ministry of Defence paper The UK’s Defence Contribution in the High North published in March 2022. The UK has strong and multidimensional relationships with our Arctic partners and Allies, working with them bilaterally and in multilateral fora to achieve common objectives. This, the UK’s proximity to the region, and the shifting strategic context lead us to conclude that our national interest in the Arctic will only increase.

Underpinning this governance is the need for effective communication at a local, regional and national level to ensure that the ‘Social Licence to Operate’ can be maintained throughout the life of mine and beyond. Further action to reduce emissions will be driven by a yearly synthesis report from the UNFCCC and an annual high-level ministerial event to increase countries’ ambition. A key objective for the UK is to honour the rights of communities to engage in traditional practices.The new (2022) Strategic Concept now recognises that in the High North, Russia’s capability to disrupt Allied reinforcements and freedom of navigation across the North Atlantic is a strategic challenge to the Alliance. The UK will advocate for NATO to take a more proactive long-term approach to the High North, acknowledging the leadership and expertise of our Arctic Allies.

Threats to the Arctic marine environment are exacerbated by increasing accessibility to the region for resource exploitation, commercial activity, tourism, fishing and transport. It will build on the success of exercise Trident Juncture in 2018 and the Cold Response series of exercises. Iceland’s new Arctic policy, published in 2021, places a strong emphasis on environmental protection and action to counter climate change, but also focuses on security and defence issues. The UK has been a State Observer to the Arctic Council since its first meeting, and our status was most recently reaffirmed at the 12th Ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik in May 2021. Changes in the Arctic mean that the region is seeing growing interest from both industries and countries around the world.

The Glasgow Climate Pact, combined with increased ambition across adaptation, finance and mitigation, means that 1. The UK is committed to working on the international stage to ensure effective governance and environmental protections are in place to regulate ships operating in Arctic waters as they become more accessible. The UK’s geographical position means we stand to benefit significantly from the opening-up of these new maritime trade routes. Finland is also hosting an increasing number of joint exercises with UK forces who will continue to draw on Finnish Arctic expertise.

Amongst significant UK contributions we continue to promote and encourage the full implementation of AEWA international species action plans for relevant arctic-breeding waterbirds such as Greenland White-fronted Goose, Barnacle Goose and Bewick’s Swan.

In May 2022, the UK and Sweden agreed a bilateral political declaration of solidarity, confirming our shared desire for closer, stronger defence and security cooperation to reinforce our key strategic partnership. The UK is engaged with AMBI, which aims to improve the status and secure the long term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. As NATO Allies, the UK and Kingdom of Denmark have a shared security interest in the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap, and have increased our focus on this area in recent years, including as members of the Joint Expeditionary Force ( JEF) and the Northern Group. The UK is also a Contracting Party to AEWA, a multilateral environmental agreement which aims to coordinate international effort for the conservation and management of migratory waterbirds including seabirds.

We are exploring opportunities to work together on the development of new and greener technologies to help tackle climate change, and to deliver our shared long-term objective of an Arctic region characterised by high cooperation and low tension. Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO will underscore the Alliance’s interests and capabilities in the High North. The Arts Council Collection collects, commissions, conserves and loans ground-breaking art to galleries and museums all over the UK. Looking North is a new exhibition that presents work by artists from the North-West of England and highlights many exciting recent additions to the Arts Council Collection.

Recognising the importance of international collaboration to achieving our mission, the UK will champion a focus on space within the JEF construct and with close Allies in the region.