Rec. 1/2012

Nordic welfare policy in a globalised world

(A 1511/presidium)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

to draw up an overview of the existing programmes and activities that aim to address the demographic challenges facing the Nordic welfare states

to make the link between health and growth, including the promotion and export of welfare technology, a priority focus area for the Top-level Research Initiative II

to promote elderly mobility in the Nordic Region through increased free-choice schemes with regard to health and care both within and between the Nordic countries

to increase co-operation with regard to treatment of rare diseases, highly specialised treatment, co-ordination of transplantation services and ambulance services in the border regions

Rec. 2/2012

Initiation of a programme and action plan to find answers to the Nordic welfare challenges

(A 1511/presidium)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of the Nordic countries,

to establish a programme to find answers to the Nordic welfare challenges through research, exchange of best practice and other experiences, and co-operation with residents and relevant disciplines

that the programme will lead to a common action plan from the Nordic governments, so that the Nordic region will stand strong in the face of the challenges of globalisation

that safeguarding equality and universal schemes in the health and care sector is essential for the continued development of the Nordic welfare societies in a positive direction in a healthy economy

that tripartite co-operation between the state and both sides of the labour market are unique to the Nordic countries. This contributes to a low level of conflict in the labour market which is a significant competitive advantage for the Nordic countries, and should therefore be upheld. However, there should be a discussion in Nordic co-operation about how this co-operation can be further developed so that the Region is best able to meet the challenges of globalisation

that integration of new citizens is important to ensure welfare in the Region. Experiences of successful integration from the Nordic countries can be used across borders just as Nordic challenges for integration in should be identified with a view to finding solutions

Rec. 3/2012

Common Nordic strategy for the Arctic

(A 1550/presidium)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of the Nordic countries,

to draw up a common Nordic strategy for co-operation on the challenges in the Arctic taking into account the views expressed in this recommendation

Rec. 4/2012

Member's proposal on financing rescue capacity in the Arctic

(A 1549/presidium)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers

that the Nordic Ministers of Finance (MR-FINANS) establish a working group to investigate the possibilities for a common systematic solution for financing the expenses of surveillance, search and rescue in the Arctic as a result of the Arctic Council's agreement on co-operation on surveillance and rescue in the Arctic

that one of the possibilities the working group will look into is a co-ordinated tax on cruise ships in the Nordic Region and using this income to finance search and rescue in the Arctic

that the Nordic ministers of finance report the conclusions of the working group to the Nordic Council Session in Helsinki in 2012

Rec. 5/2012

Environmental protection and oil and gas extraction in the Arctic areas

(A 1552/environment)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of the Nordic countries,

to take initiative for closer Arctic co-operation on capacity and infrastructure for clean up after an oil spill and work for a legally binding agreement between all the Arctic states on cleaning up oil spills

to work for close Arctic co-operation for the development of new and safer technologies in offshore oil and gas extraction in the Arctic

to work for a legally binding agreement between the Arctic states which will ensure the use of the best available technology and processes in offshore oil and gas extraction which build on the principles of sustainable development and the precautionary principle

Rec. 6/2012

Seminar on environmental challenges in the Arctic areas

(A 1552/environment)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

to organise a seminar in co-operation with the Nordic Council, with representatives from the oil industry, inspection authorities, local communities, environmental organisations etc., on the environmental challenges that oil and gas extraction in Arctic areas will cause

Rec. 7/2012

The Nordic Council's co-operation with the Arctic Council
(A 1556/welfare)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

to work to ensure that the UN Global Impact's 10 principles are a natural part of corporate social responsibility and profile in the Arctic and support the work of the Arctic Council on the development of the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Arctic

Rec. 8/2012

Draw up an action plan for dealing with the future challenges in the Arctic

(A 1556/welfare)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of the Nordic countries and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland,

to strengthen and develop Nordic co-operation with the Arctic Council

to draw up an action plan in co-operation with relevant stakeholders in the Arctic on how to deal with future challenges in relation to Arctic strategic location, climate changes, health and other factors which influence the local communities in the Arctic, in line with the suggestions from the NUUK Declaration of 12 May 2011

Rec. 9/2012

The rights of the indigenous peoples in the Arctic

(A 1554/citizens)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden,

to ensure that the rights of the indigenous peoples are not violated during the extraction of region's natural resources by, amongst other things, implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Rec. 10/2012

Final negotiation of the Sami convention

(A 1554/citizens)

The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of Finland, Norway and Sweden,

to work actively to conclude negotiations for the Nordic Sami Convention within the specified time frame

Rec. 11/2012

Language and education in the Arctic

(A 1557/kultur)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

that the languages - Greenlandic in Greenland and Sami in Finland, Norway and Sweden - spoken by the indigenous peoples in the northern part of the Arctic, which are cited in the "Nordic Declaration on Language Policy" (Language Declaration) as Nordic languages essential to society, be followed up in 2013-2018 in regard to the Language Declaration's intentions and taking into account the views outlined in this proposal

that the work of "Assessing, Monitoring, and Promoting Arctic Indigenous Languages" by the Arctic Council is monitored and co-ordinated with Nordic initiatives, and that there is an assessment of, and possibly on, the way in which the Nordic countries can implement initiatives which support the Language Declaration and any recommendations from the Arctic Council

Rec. 12/2012

Infrastructure for research and research network in the Arctic

(A 1555/business)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

to initiate an action plan for an expanded co-operation in research infrastructure

to stimulate cross sectoral/scientific networks for research and research training which will include the USA, Canada, Russia and the EU

Statement 13/2012

Annual EU report

(A 1544/presidium)

The Nordic Council recommends to the Nordic Council of Ministers,

to prepare an annual EU report on EU related activities