In its policy program “Hurdalsplattformen,” Norway’s government states that the High North is the country’s “strategically most important region.” Foreign and domestic interests converge in Norway’s Arctic policy, which revolves around security, stability, and international cooperation. Following a series of Arctic strategy documents that date back to 2003, the Norwegian government laid out over 150 recommendations related to its Arctic strategy in a 2020 white paper (Meld. St. 9 82020-2021). In Polar Perspectives No. 12, Dr. Alf Håkon Hoel, Global Fellow, Polar Institute, provides a summary of Norway's High North policy for the coming years.
About the Author
Alf Håkon Hoel
Professor of Ocean Law and Policy, College of Fisheries Science, University of Tromsø - the Arctic University of Norway; Adjunct Professor, Institute of Marine Research
Polar Institute
Since its inception in 2017, the Polar Institute has become a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues, and is known in Washington, DC and elsewhere as the Arctic Public Square. The Institute holistically studies the central policy issues facing these regions—with an emphasis on Arctic governance, climate change, economic development, scientific research, security, and Indigenous communities—and communicates trusted analysis to policymakers and other stakeholders. Read more
