The Stoltenberg Report

Last June, the Nordic foreign ministers asked Norway's former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Thorvald Stoltenberg, for ideas to encourage closer foreign affairs and security cooperation over the next 10 to 15 years. 

Now we have it:  Nordic Cooperation On Foreign and Security Policy.  Stoltenberg's 13 proposals are his own work, based on conversations with politicians and experts; this is not the result of committee deliberations and there was a very limited staff.  These will be developed further in coming weeks and will be taken up at a meeting of the Nordic foreign ministers in Reykjavik this spring (Stoltenberg Report Presented to Nordic Foreign Ministers).

Not all of the proposals deal with the Arctic, but many do.  In summary:

Climate change, increased Arctic shipping activity, and Arctic energy resources create Arctic responsibilities for the Nordic countries and a requirement for Nordic cooperation to meet these responsibilities.  All five Nordic countries must cooperate, and not just those (Norway and Denmark) with Arctic Ocean shorelines.  To cooperation effectively, the Nordic countries need to know what's going on, need to develop action capabilities, and need institutions for agreements to facilitate joint efforts and to engage with other interested parties.

Several of the proposals deal with cooperative efforts to improve monitoring of events in the North Atlantic, Barents Sea, and Baltic.  There are recommendations for cooperation in a civilian maritime monitoring system (keeping track of civilian traffic, sea ice, pollution), complemented by a Nordic satellite system to enhance monitoring and communications.  Currently Nordic countries buy satellite services from third party providers.  But: 

There are a number of arguments for why the Nordic countries should develop their own solutions for satellite services. At present, the communication services purchased by the Nordic countries are mainly provided by satellites in geostationary orbit above the equator. These satellites do not provide satisfactory coverage north of 71oN. This problem will become even greater with the start of commercial maritime traffic across the Arctic Ocean.

Any maritime monitoring system  should incorporate mechanisms for information exchange with other countries, including Russia in the Barents Sea, and Canada and the U.S. in the North Atlantic.  Stoltenberg also recommends increased Nordic cooperation in existing patrols of Icelandic air space.

Other proposals deal with arrangements for joint action.  A maritime response force made up of Nordic country coast guards and rescue services can improve existing search and rescue capability.  Arctic ice breakers would be helpful, although none of the Nordic countries currently have them.   A Nordic amphibious unit could be built around existing cooperative efforts involving Sweden's 1st Amphibious Regiment and Finland's Nyland Brigade.  This force could be used for UN peacekeeping efforts in coastal areas.  The force should have an Arctic capability:

In order to have Arctic capability, the unit would need logistic support adapted to Arctic conditions.  This support could be provided by one logistic support vessel, which could function as command platform, transport and supply vessel and amphibious landing platform. These functions could also be provided by a combination of various types of vessels.

Finally, the Nordic countries need to work on institutions to coordinate overall decision making.  A Nordic disaster response unit, based in existing institutions, would be valuable to coordinate preparations for, and responses to, major disasters. Joint military cooperation may lead to specialization among Nordic nations:

Such a development would make it necessary to base the cooperation on a formal security policy guarantee. If the Nordic countries are to be dependent on each other militarily, they must also be able to rely on having access to the military means they require to defend themselves, should the need arise.

To achieve this, the Nordic governments could issue a mutually binding declaration containing a security policy guarantee. In such a declaration, the countries could clarify in binding terms how they would respond if a Nordic country were subject to external attack or undue pressure. 

A joint declaration of this kind issued by the Nordic governments would make it possible to engage in far closer military cooperation than is the case today....

Map: Nordic Council.

Comments

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This idea is absolutely welcome, if it is adequately monitor and properly follow up accordingly.However, this will propel others UN member countries to wake up their to reponsilities without any delay or procastination.