A blog from the Netherlands' Lex Oosterbaan (Chair of EIHA)

21 October 2016

From 7-9 October, 1500 people attended the Arctic Circle Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland. 90 sessions covered a wide array of topics, social, cultural, legal, economic and environmental. Many sessions were related to risks of new shipping routes. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon received the first Arctic Circle prize for his endless work for the Paris Climate Agreement. As part of a breakout session organised by the Dutch Government, “ Cleaning the (Arctic) Ocean”, I (Lex Oosterbaan, chair of OSPAR’s EIHA Committee), presented the objectives and remit of the OSPAR Convention and its work on marine litter, especialy in Arctic Waters. I highlighted the need to bring together partnerships of stakeholders. The session was well attended (full house), suggesting potential for a wider audience at next year's Conference.

Official press release on the Arctic Circle Prize