Grønlandsudvalget 2019-20
GRU Alm.del Bilag 33
Offentligt
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P
reamble
Recognizing
the Arctic’s great resource wealth, the
increasing global demand for the Arctic’s minerals and
hydrocarbons, the scope and depth of climate change and
other environmental pressures and challenges facing the
Arctic;
Mindful
of the core rights of Inuit as recognized in the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
as
provided for in a variety of other legal and political
instruments and mechanisms, including land rights
settlement legislation, land claims agreements (treaties),
and self-government, intergovernmental and constitutional
arrangements, and as asserted in
A Circumpolar Inuit
Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic;
and
Respectful
of the ingenuity, resilience and wisdom of
p
­ revious­generations­of ­Inuit,­confident­of ­the­ability­of ­
every generation of Inuit to adapt to change, and
determined to provide for the material and cultural
well-being of Inuit into the future;
•
Healthy communities and households require both a
healthy environment and a healthy economy.
•
Economic development and social and cultural
development must go hand in hand.
•
Greater Inuit economic, social and cultural
s
­ elf-sufficiency­is­an­essential­part­of ­greater­Inuit­
political self-determination.
•
Renewable resources have sustained Inuit from the time
preceding recorded history to the present. Future
generations of Inuit will continue to rely on Arctic foods
for nutritional, social, cultural and economic purposes.
•
Responsible non-renewable resource development can
also make an important and durable contribution to the
well-being of current and future generations of Inuit.
Managed under
Inuit Nunaat
governance structures, non-
renewable resource development can contribute to Inuit
economic and social development through both private
sector channels (employment, incomes, businesses) and
public sector channels (revenues from publicly owned
lands, tax revenues, infrastructure).
•
The pace of resource development has profound im-
plications for Inuit. A proper balance must be struck.
Inuit­desire­resource­development­at­a­rate­sufficient­to­
provide­durable­and­diversified­economic­growth,­but­
constrained enough to forestall environmental degrada-
tion­and­an­overwhelming­influx­of ­outside­labour.
•
Resource development results in environmental and
social impacts as well as opportunities for economic
bene­ ts.­In­the­weighing­of ­impacts­and­benefits,­those­
fi
who face the greatest and longest-lasting impacts must
have the greatest opportunities, and a primary place in
the decision-making. This principle applies between
Inuit
Nunaat
and the rest of the world, and within
Inuit Nunaat.
•
All resource development must contribute actively and
significantly­to­improving­Inuit­living­standards­and­
social conditions, and non-renewable resource
development, in particular, must promote economic
diversification­through­contributions­to­education­and­
other forms of social development, physical infra-
structure, and non-extractive industries.
•
Inuit welcome the opportunity to work in full partnership
with resource developers, governments and local
communities in the sustainable development of resources
of
Inuit Nunaat,
including related policy-making, to the
long-lasting­benefit­of ­Inuit­and­with­respect­for­baseline­
environmental and social responsibilities.
I
n further detaIl
,
We declare
:
1. Candour, Clarity and Transparency
1.1
The world’s peoples and their social, cultural and
economic systems are becoming more interconnected, the
pace of change is accelerating, the challenges faced by the
world are escalating in complexity, and the risks associated
with­human­activities­are­of ­increasing­­ ignificance.
s
1.2
To prosper under these circumstances, the peoples and
states of the world must conduct their relations
cooperatively with candour, clarity and transparency – an
approach in keeping with Inuit culture and custom.
1.3
It is our desire to declare our key understandings,
positions and intentions in relation to resource
­ evelopment,­recognizing­that­doing­so­will­benefit­Inuit­
d
and the global community.
1.4
While the focus of this Declaration is on the
development of non-renewable resources, it must be
understood that (a) issues surrounding the appropriate use
of non-renewable and renewable resources are inextricably
linked, and (b) the principles set out in this Declaration are,
in many ways, applicable to the use of renewable resources.
2. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples
2.1
Resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must be
grounded in the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples.
2.2
The
UN Declaration
recognizes the right of indigenous
peoples to self-determination. Under that right, Inuit have
the right to freely determine collectively our political,
social, economic, and cultural development. Resource
development in
Inuit Nunaat
directly engages our right to
self-determination, and many other provisions of the
UN
Declaration.
2.3
Our rights as an indigenous people, including our right
to self-determination, may be exercised in a practical way
through governance structures that combine both Inuit
and non-Inuit constituents. No matter what level or form
of self-determination the Inuit of any particular region
have achieved, resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must
proceed only with the free, prior, and informed consent of
the Inuit of that region.
2.4
Private sector resource developers, and governments
and public bodies charged with the public management of
resource development, must all conduct themselves in
concert with the
UN Declaration.
Respect for the
UN
Declaration
should be open and transparent, and be subject
to independent and impartial review.
3. A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on
Sovereignty in the Arctic
3.1
Resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must be
grounded in
A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on
Sovereignty in the Arctic,
adopted by the Inuit Circum-
polar Council in April 2009.
3.2
A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the
Arctic­identified­many­principles­that­are­relevant­to­
the governance and carrying out of resource develop-
ment in
Inuit Nunaat,
including the importance of the
rule of law and recognition of the rights of Inuit as
an Arctic indigenous people under both international
and domestic law.
4. Inuit as Partners in Policy Making and
Decision Making
4.1
Central to
A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on
Sovereignty in the Arctic
is the requirement that Inuit
must be active and equal partners in policy-making
and decision-making affecting Inuit Nunaat.
4.2
Partnerships with Inuit in relation to resource
development will have different characteristics
depending on the circumstances, but the spirit and
substance of partnership must extend to both public
sector governance and private sector enterprise.
4.3
Partnerships must include the meaningful
engagement and active participation of Inuit in local
communities who are most directly affected by
resource development in
Inuit Nunaat.
4.4
Partnerships must draw upon the growing
capacity and aspirations of Inuit businesses and
enterprises through use of vehicles such as joint
ventures, commercial mechanisms for facilitating
equity participation, and the issuance of land and
resource rights through licences, leases and similar
instruments.
4.5
Inuit recognize the need within
Inuit Nunaat
to
create and implement inter-Inuit consultation
mechanisms to ensure that approval of major
resource development projects in one Inuit region,
with major environmental and other implications for
one or more adjacent Inuit regions, is accompanied
by­­ ufficient­opportunity­for­an­informed­exchange­
s
of information and opinion between or among the
Inuit regions.
5. Global Environmental Security
5.1
Inuit and others – through their institutions and
international instruments – have a shared
responsi­ i­ity­to­evaluate­the­risks­and­benefits­of ­
­
bl
their actions through the prism of global environ-
mental security.
5.2
Resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must
contribute to, and not detract from, global, national
and regional efforts to curb greenhouse emissions
and should always be seen through the reality of
climate change.
5.3
In their implementation of mechanisms for
adaptation to climate change, states and the
W
e
,
the
I
nuIt of
Inuit Nunaat,
declare
:
A CIRCUMPolAR INUIT
DEClARATIoN
oN
RESoURCE DEvEloPMENT
PRINCIPlES IN
INUIT NUNAAT
www.inuit.org
www.inuitcircumpolar.com
www.iccalaska.org
 GRU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 33: Materiale om ICC’s arktiske politik og strategi
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international community as a whole must commit to
paying the cost of climate change adaptation
measures and the upgrading of fuel-related infra-
structure in
Inuit Nunaat
regions and communities.
5.4
Resource development projects must not
exacerbate the climate change-related stresses on the
survival of Arctic wildlife.
5.5
To minimize risk to global environmental
security, the pace of resource development in the
Arctic must be carefully considered.
6. Healthy Communities in a Healthy
Environment
6.1
The physical and mental health of human
communities and individuals cannot be separated
from the health of the natural environment.
6.2
Resource development proposals for
Inuit
Nunaat
must be assessed holistically, placing human
needs at the centre.
6.3
Resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must
promote the physical and mental health of
communities and individuals within
Inuit Nunaat.
6.4
Resource development must enhance, not detract
from, Inuit food security.
6.5
In a contemporary context, healthy communities
in the Arctic require the establishment, maintenance
and improvement of core infrastructure needs,
including housing, education, health care and social
service delivery infrastructure, and core
transportation and communications networks that
facilitate both public sector activities and private
sector entrepreneurship.
7. Economic Self-Sufficiency and the Sustainable
Development of Resources
Inuit Nunaat
7.1
Inuit seek to make use of the economic
opportunities available through long-term develop-
ment of the resources of
Inuit Nunaat.
7.2
Resource development in
Inuit Nunaat
must be
sustainable. It must serve the needs of Inuit today
without compromising the ability of Inuit meet their
needs of tomorrow.
7.3
The proponent of a resource development
project bears the burden of demonstrating that the
proposed development is sustainable.
7.4
In determining the sustainability of a resource
development­initiative,­the­best­available­scientific­
and Inuit knowledge and standards must be
determined and employed.
7.5
International standard-setting bodies must seek
and secure direct and meaningful input from Inuit.
National, regional and local bodies, such as offshore
and land management regimes, must be designed and
operated to be effective, transparent and accountable,
thereby­­ aining­and­sustaining­the­­ onfidence­of ­the­
g
c
Inuit public at all times.
7.6
Sustainability standards must emphasize the need
for the demonstrated support of those communities
directly affected by a resource development proposal.
8. Impact Assessment, Prevention and Mitigation
8.1
Notwithstanding property rights or government
rights-granting regimes, there is no free-standing or un-
qualified­“right”­to­proceed­with­non-renewable­resource­
development in
Inuit Nunaat.
Projects must be scrutinized
by Inuit and proved to be in the best interests of Inuit and
the wider public.
8.2
Land and offshore management regimes must include
(a) long-term land use plans that set out ground rules for
development­applicable­to­specific­projects,­and­(b)­robust­
impact assessment processes to gauge the likely impacts of
specific­projects.
8.3
Management, land use planning and impact
assessment regimes must address the cumulative impacts
of existing and potential projects and, where prudent, limit
the number and scope of projects permitted.
8.4
Impact assessments covering broad geographic areas
are important and necessary management tools, and their
completion­in­advance­of ­specific­project­propo­ als­should­
s
be encouraged.
8.5
Impact assessments should examine all potential
environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts
anticipated both during the project and after the project is
completed or abandoned.
8.6
In accordance with relevant provisions of the
Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development,
the precautionary
principle and the polluter pays principle must be applied in
all stages of project planning, assessment, implementation
and reclamation.
8.7
Reclamation and recovery of habitat and affected
lands and waters must be thoroughly planned and fully
funded in advance of and throughout project
implementation.
8.8
All development in
Inuit Nunaat
must adhere to the
most developed and demanding environmental standards
taking Arctic conditions fully into account. (For example,
mining operations and offshore hydro-carbon develop-
ment should entail zero-volume discharge onto land and
into Arctic waters.)
8.9
Preventing spills offshore and eliminating release of
toxic substances to land and waters are paramount.
Prevention efforts should be viewed as investments that
pay dividends in cost avoidance.
8.10
Response to spills, contamination of lands or waters,
and mining emergencies must meet the highest techno-
logical standards and be anchored in proven cleanup
technologies with full Inuit participation.
8.11
Proposals for spill response in Arctic waters must
include a proven demonstration of the industry’s ability to
retrieve spilled oil in frozen, broken and refreezing ice
conditions. Allowing resource development without such a
demonstration would be fundamentally irresponsible.
8.12
Effective oil spill prevention and response in Arctic
waters­requires­active­monitoring­of ­vessel­traffic­and­swift­
and effective emergency response in the event of mishap.
Public authorities and developers with relevant responsi-
bilities must commit to increased investment in navigation
aids,­vessel­traffic­management,­ship­­ om­ liance­
c p
inspections, security considerations, emergency response
capability, and overall port and harbour infrastructure.
8.13
Standards and requirements for Arctic marine pilots
must be carefully conceived and strictly applied.
8.14
An international liability and compensation regime
for contamination of lands, waters and marine areas
resulting from offshore oil exploration and exploitation
must be established.
8.15
Respecting­the­Arctic­Council’s­“Arctic­Offshore­Oil­
and­Gas­Guidelines”­as­minimum­standards.
9. Improving Inuit living Standards and Expanding
Inuit Governance
9.1
Inuit expect that new resource development projects
will contribute to an improvement in our material
well-being. This expectation is well-rooted in the
fundamental features of relevant international indigenous
and human rights laws and standards, in the underlying
constitutional constructs and political values of the four
Arctic States in which Inuit live, and in the application of
fairness and reason.
9.2
Through a variety of mechanisms – land rights
settlement legislation, land claims agreements (treaties),
self-government arrangements, and intergovernmental and
Constitutional provisions – Inuit have acquired critical
means and levels of control over the governance of
Inuit
Nunaat.
Many of these mechanisms provide for direct
Inuit participation in specialized resource management
bodies, including planning, project review, and regulatory
bodies.
9.3
While this trend is primarily a result of Inuit effort
and determination, it has often been assisted and
welcomed as healthy and normative by and within the four
Arctic States.
9.4
Accordingly, resource development projects must take
into account the trend toward greater Inuit self-governance
and, to the extent possible, advance it.
9.5
Public sector revenues derived from all phases of
resource development should be distributed in a fair and
visible way according to the following hierarchy of
priorities: (1) providing security against unplanned or
unintended environmental consequences, (2) compensating
for negative community and regional impacts, (3) contrib-
uting to the improvement of community and regional
living standards and overall well-being, and
(4)­contribu­ ing­to­the­fiscal­health­and­stability­of ­
t
institutions and mechanisms of Inuit governance. Only
after the legitimate needs of the Inuit of
Inuit Nunaat
are
met, should public sector revenues contribute to the
coffers of central State treasuries.
9.6
Inuit employment at all levels must be maximized in
resource development activities in
Inuit Nunaat.
9.7
Independent of the rate of resource development,
Inuit must derive direct and substantial employment
­ncome­benefit­from­resource­development­projects.­
i
Accordingly, an Inuit education fund should be established
in each of Canada, Greenland, Russia and the U.S.A. with
public sector investments.
10. Promoting and Accommodating a Dynamic
Inuit Culture
10.1
Many international law principles and standards
in relation to indigenous peoples are rooted in the
strong conviction that the development and
preservation of human cultural diversity is both a
responsibility­and­a­benefit­for­all­­ umanity.­The­UN
h
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
acknowl-
edges that indigenous peoples have the right to
maintain, control, protect and develop their language,
traditional knowledge and cultural heritage and
expressions.
10.2
Inuit culture is both well-rooted and dynamic.
Inuit are committed to ensuring that resource
development projects must be planned and im-
plemented in such a way as to support and enhance
Inuit culture, rather than subvert or overwhelm it.
10.3
Inuit are committed to safe-guarding Inuit
culture against excess adverse pressures and impacts
that could be brought on by an overly ambitious, ill
timed, or poorly planned and implemented staging of
major resource development projects, particularly
insofar­as­such­a­scenario­precipitated­a­major­influx­
of non-Inuit while failing to impart the technologies,
skills and training, and business opportunities needed
by Inuit.
10.4
Governments, public bodies and private sector
actors in
Inuit Nunaat
must share in these
commitments.
We, the Inuit of
Inuit Nunaat,
are committed to
the principles on resource development in
Inuit
Nunaat
set out in this Declaration. Inuit invite –
and are entitled to expect – all those who have or
seek a role in the governance, management,
development, or use of the resources of
Inuit
Nunaat
to conduct themselves within the letter
and spirit of this Declaration.
Aqqaluk Lynge ·
Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Jim Stotts ·
Vice Chair, Alaska
Tatiana Achirgina ·
Vice Chair, Chukotka
Duane Smith ·
Vice Chair, Canada
Carl Christian Olsen ·
Vice Chair, Greenland