NKJ, together with the Nordic Council, organised two sessions during COP17 in Armenia. We wanted to contribute with the Nordic knowledge of, and experiences in, upholding biological diversity, and do so in a global context.
Participants were representatives of governments from around the world, international organizations, the scientific community, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and the private sector. We invited them all to take part of our sessions.
And there was a great interest in taking part of the Nordic insights! NKJ’s first session dealt with the conflicts that can arise when a society both wants to work for a green transition and at the same time safeguard the rights of Indigenous peoples. The session highlighted Nordic experiences and recent developments concerning cumulative impacts, traditional knowledge and Sámi participation in planning and decision-making. It also explored practical approaches to upholding Indigenous rights. Speakers and panel participants were Daniela Sant’Ana, PhD candidate, TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo and Leena Hansen, Associate Professor of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, University of Lapland.
The day after, NKJ’s session was about Perennial Grain Crops. The session explored the latest Nordic research on perennial grain crops, as well as policy opportunities and barriers to the wider development of perennial agricultural systems. It also considered the potential of perennial crops to contribute to the restoration of nutrient-affected aquatic ecosystems. There was great curiosity regarding both the tasting samples available of cookies baked with the perennial grain Kernza, and the cultivation of perennial crops itself. There were many questions and we lingered in the pavilion for subsequent discussion even after the session had ended.
Photo: Ania Seraphin, Nordic Council
Speakers and panel participants were Lennart Olsson, Professor, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Eusun Han, Associate Professor, Aarhus University and Bryndís Haraldsdóttir, Icelandic member of the Nordic Council Committee for a Sustainable Nordic Region, president of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.
Both sessions attracted a substantial audience, despite strong competition during the massive COP17 meeting.