Inuit Circumpolar Council 12th General Assembly Speech by Premier Aleqa Hammond Political developments Greenland Inuvik, Canada, 21 July, 2014

Transcription

1 Inuit Circumpolar Council 12th General Assembly Speech by Premier Aleqa Hammond Political developments Greenland Inuvik, Canada, 21 July, 2014 Dear friends, This General Assembly is the sixth that I am personally attending, and it is an important one, not least because it marks the end of ICC Greenland s Chairmanship. The recent political history of Greenland and of the ICC, are interwoven to such a degree that it can be difficult to separate the two. The first meeting of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference in 1977, preceded the entry into force of Home Rule in Greenland by only two years. I would like to talk to you about the important political developments that are taking place in Greenland during these years, which I think are relevant for all Inuit. I would also like to address, how I think these developments, impact or can inspire our work here at the ICC for the coming four years. First of all, I think it is important to talk about resources. The resources of the Inuit. Human resources: The most important resource we have is our human resource, and the capital that each and every one of us represents - through our abilities, our knowledge of our past, and our dedication to create results for our common future.

2 When I grew up, it would have been unthinkable to be treated by a Greenlandic doctor, flown in a plane piloted by a Greenlandic pilot, or advised by a Greenlandic lawyer when making important decisions for my country. Today, all of these are natural, and I take them for granted. Much still remains to be done. And we must never forget that the path of transformation that has led us up to today, has also had huge human, social and psychological costs. Rapid transformation has been accompanied by social problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and much too high suicide rates. Since 1979, Greenland has made tremendous progress, and education and our education policy have been instrumental in this regard. Over the coming years, Greenland intends to continue along this path. It is important that we Inuit highlight our successes as well as our challenges, as we look ahead to the future. Since 2006, the Greenland Education Programme has been the central focal point of our education policy.the Programme is part of a long-term strategy to contribute to Greenland s development into a more selfsustaining economy in which a well-educated and well-trained population is central. The focus areas in these years are in particular: -Early efforts; -Elementary school; -Youth education; and -Young people who are outside the education sector. These focus areas have been chosen, because our work has shown that an early effort is more efficient than a later effort in the education system. In addition, leaders and staff in our education institutions consistently report that addressing social problems is important to the everyday welfare of students and for improving overall completion and dropout rates. This is why Elementary school is crucial for later success in educational activities. Elementary school is also an important priority when it comes to

3 addressing social issues in general. A significant shortcoming in the past has been to ensure enough school counsellors have the appropriate competences, to handle students individual challenges. This is why, a notable new element in our Education Programme strategy is to focus on ensuring better counselling services at all levels. This includes educational counselling in transition and during education, as well as psychological counselling. New and more focused efforts are also being devoted to youth education and to implementing alternative measures to reach youth that have fallen out of the education system. Natural resources: Our Inuit countries and territories are rich in natural resources - both living resources and mineral resources. This wealth has to be managed in a way that benefits our Peoples and in a way in which we are actively empowered to make decisions for the benefit of our Peoples. At the heart of our culture, is the preservation and longterm conservation of the living resources, on which inhabitants in the Arctic have always depended. These living resources are the key to our identity and culture, and our livelihoods will always depend on their longterm sustainable utilisation. At the same time my government is working very hard to secure new activities in our mineral resources sector. I want to see future economic growth in Greenland supported by large scale industries and oil and mineral extraction. We are fully aware that this will profoundly affect Greenlandic society and the way in which we view our own role in the world. Our culture has survived rapid modernisation from the 1950s onwards. Our culture will also endure the transformation of our economy from one

4 based only on living resources towards a more broad-based economic foundation which will include living resources and oil and mineral resources and which will see Greenland gradually enter more fully into the world economy. That is my vision for the future of Greenland. With the Self-Governance Act of 2009 and the transfer in 2010 of the sole competence from Denmark over our own oil and gas and mineral resources, Greenland is responsible for its own decisions in these areas. This is why, Greenland since my Government took power little more than a year ago, has been able to adopt important decisions on developments in the minerals sector. In twenty years, Greenland will have twice as many citizens above retirement age than there are today. I need to ensure that there are jobs and prospects for people, to create value and hope for future generations. International cooperation: Our societies are under pressure: from climate change; from mineral development; from demographic change; and from outside international interest in the Arctic. More than ever before, we Inuit need to be strong and stand united. I see education and natural resources as examples, where we as Inuit could and should do much more together. Earlier this month I held discussions with Premier Taptuna about deepening cooperation between Greenland and Nunavut. I see a real and untapped potential when we focus on practical and results-oriented cooperation. Since the 1980s, we have been cooperating on a whole range of issues. But we can do so much more.

5 This is why Greenland and Nunavut earlier this month signed a joint statement on increased cooperation on marine resources, seals, the airlink between Nuuk and Iqaluit and education within the minerals exploration and exploitation sector. I would also like to see cooperation across the Davis Strait extended to areas such as health and social issues in the years to come. Large-scale projects in Greenland, will during the construction phases require outside labour. Once minerals development in Greenland is well underway, I want to explore possibilities for more cooperation on workforce exchange with North America. The economic and development pressures, which we are all facing, should be seen as opportunities for more cooperation among Inuit. But this requires that we prioritise our internal infrastructure, be it the airlink between Greenland towards the west, or the port facilities required to facilitate more direct trade between Inuit. At the World Economic Forum s meeting in Davos in January, I - together with a group of influential leaders from the public and private sectors launched the idea of a Sustainable Investment Vehicle for the Arctic region, because there is a real potential for attracting investments, if we work more together as a region. There are plenty of examples of how such an initiative could work, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, or the European and Nordic Investment Banks. In particular for attracting cross-border infrastructure investments involving two or more Arctic states, we need a more deliberate and long-term approach. This is relevant today, not only because of our mineral ressource potential, but also because of the opening up of new sea-lanes and fishing opportunities. We have to work together to turn our challenges into opportunities. Towards the outside world, we Inuit must ensure that our voices are heard. The ICC has an important role to play globally. Canada as chair of the Arctic Council has an important role to play, and we as leaders of Inuit countries and territories have an important role to play.

6 2015 will see the US take over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, and I hope that Inuit will have a strong voice also in this chairmanship, as they have had in the Canadian chairmanship. This autumn will be a busy one: In September, the biennial International Whaling Commission Meeting will be held. This will be important for Greenland. At the past meeting of the International Whaling Commission, despite the clear advice of the International Whaling Commission s scientific committee, no decision regarding Greenland quotas could be taken. On 23 September, the UN will be holding its Climate Summit in New York. It is important that our voices are heard here, and this is why Greenland will be participating. The world needs to hear: -that climate zones in Greenland are being pushed almost 2 kilometres to the North every year, - that in less than a decade, we will only have two of our three climate zones left, - that traditional lifestyles, hunting and fishing are being fundamentally affected. That these changes are affecting our culture as a People. But the world also needs to hear that we Inuit have the strength and wisdom to adapt to these changes. This September, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples will take place. The conference will be important in contributing to the realization of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, pursuing the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and promoting the achievement of all internationally agreed development goals. I hope to see the Inuit voice strongly represented at the conference. Together, we can influence the international processes and decision-making procedures in the right direction, and together we can ensure that Inuit representatives continue to be central in these international discussions. Closer political cooperation among inuit leaders:

7 The EU s import ban on sealskin products has affected hunters in Greenland and Canada very strongly. We Inuit share common views and interests. With the conclusion of the WTO case led by Canada and Norway against the European Union, it is now important that we exchange views and coordinate our efforts. We have much to gain in explaining the importance of the seal hunt for the Inuit, and our voice is heard internationally when we stand together. Despite our differences, we share many challenges in our countries and territories. These challenges call for more political cooperation, both in the framework of the ICC, but also among Inuit political leaders of our countries and territories. I think the world is more ready to hear our views today, and Inuit voices need to be heard not only in Washington D.C., Ottawa, Moscow or Copenhagen. In the years to come we should work closer together, to also be heard and understood in places like New York, Brussels or Beijing. We must always be strong in our belief in that together, we as Inuit, can continue to achieve important results that develop our Arctic societies.