According to a report by the 18th Lok Sabha’s Committee on External Affairs, an ambassador or special envoy should be established to communicate with pertinent nations on issues pertaining to Arctic and polar policy.
Although many nations are now taking a “institutionalized” approach to dealing with Arctic-related issues, including designating a Polar/Arctic Affairs Ambassador, the External Affairs Ministry has informed the committee that the Polar Cell in the United Nations Economic and Social Division of the Ministry is responsible for the Arctic-related policies. Every time the Arctic Council is reviewed, the committee recommended that India be elevated from its current “observer status” to “member status.”
The Ministry informed the Committee that in order to adopt a “focused and sustained” policy approach on matters pertaining to the Polar and Arctic regions, it engages with Indian embassies overseas as well as government organizations and Ministries. The report titled “India’s Role and Presence in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions” stated, “However, as informed by the Ministry of External Affairs, many countries are exploring institutionalized or dedicated mechanisms to handle polar related issues, including appointing a Polar/Arctic Affairs Ambassador or a dedicated representative/Committee/desk to deal with the matter.”
According to the report, every member of the Arctic Council and the majority of non-Arctic observer states, including China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, have a Polar/Arctic Ambassador with a dedicated Polar/Arctic Affairs Desk.
According to the paper, “it is imperative that India also has such an ambassador at a level equivalent to other countries exclusively to deal with polar regions.” Having such an ambassador will help India deal with these regions more effectively. According to the study, “the Committee, therefore, recommends the Government to consider appointing a polar ambassador for polar engagement and facilitating collaboration.”
India has a significant role in the Arctic Council since the Himalayan range is regarded as the third pole due to its globally significant ice deposits. Although the committee acknowledged that “there are several limitations on Observer countries as they cannot take part in decision making process,” it expressed satisfaction with India’s performance as an Arctic Council member. According to them, India is unable to “financially contribute or undertake research in the Arctic region directly” in its capacity as a “observer.”
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United States, and 13 observer states (France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, India, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Italy, and Switzerland) as well as Arctic indigenous communities make up the Arctic Council. According to the study, “the committee believes that full-fledged membership of the council will allow India to be more actively engaged and be representative of the Global South, taking into account the diverse areas of work being taken up by India and adding to the knowledge about the region.”
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