UArctic Congress 2026: Day 3 

Ocean Day opening session 

The third day of the UArctic Congress 2026 drew attention to the oceans theme through the Ocean Day. A key part of the Ocean Connectivity Conference, the Ocean Day was dedicated to the Arctic Council’s work on ocean-related issues.  

The day kicked off with the Ocean Day opening session and keynote speeches from Bárður á Steig Nielsen, Faroese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries, and Christine Creyke of Gwich’in Council International. In his speech, Nielsen noted that good collaboration requires people meeting each other, listening and learning from each other, which is what these events are all about. Creyke spoke about the importance and meaning of salmon to the Gwich’in and the ongoing salmon crisis. She also highlighted the expertise and knowledge of the Gwich’in on salmon ecology as well as on other ecological aspects, gained through observation and interaction over time. 

A panel discussion on the triple planetary crisis in the Arctic marine environment wrapped up the Ocean Day opening session. The panelists discussed e.g. the most urgent changes in marine ecosystems, the need to improve our understanding of climate change impacts on biodiversity, the most pressing issues that Indigenous and northern communities are facing. They also called for increased focus on communication towards decision-makers. 

Parallel and poster sessions and the last plenary 

The program continued with a set of dedicated Ocean Day parallel sessions as well as with sessions related to the other Congress themes. Altogether, nearly 60 parallel sessions took place over the course of the day, and nearly 80 posters were presented in the last two poster sessions focused on climate change and Indigenous Peoples and northern communities. The day’s discussions featured topics and sessions such as:  

• Navigating the Future of Arctic Shipping: Trends, Environmental Stewardship, and Safety Standards – part of the Ocean Day 
• Inuit Arctic Ocean Governance: How Indigenous Knowledge and Inuit-led management practices can strengthen decision-making – part of the Ocean Day 
• All-Hazards Approach to Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response – part of the Ocean Day 
• The Arctic Council's Actions for Arctic Biodiversity 2025-2035: Charting a path for the biodiversity actions in the Arctic – part of the Ocean Day 
• Sustainable and Intelligent Urban Logistics Planning 
• Geopolitical Dynamics in the Arctic: Complex Systems and Data-Driven Insights 
• Building and Sharing Knowledge of Climate Interventions 
• Invasive Alien Species in the Arctic: Strengthening Regional Cooperation in a Changing Climate 
• Arctic Climate Change: Advancing Community-Relevant Science for Resilience, Oceans, and Sustainable Futures 
• Towards Decolonizing Higher Education: Pathways to Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices and Reflections on Organizational Change 
• Co-designing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Circumpolar Health 
• Voicing the North: Indigenous Cinema and Digital Media for Cultural Continuity 
• Intersectional Gender Equality in Arctic Academia – engaging with Communities and interacting with youth 

Aligning with the thematic focus of the Ocean Day, the last plenary session of the Congress was also dedicated to oceans. The keynote speech was delivered by Hjálmar Hátún, oceanographer at the Faroe Marine Research Institute, and was focused on Arctic-Atlantic connectivity. In the keynote, he discussed e.g. the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its projected weakening, and also highlighted other ocean processes in the North Atlantic and their impacts. Both the keynote and the panel discussion that followed emphasized that other ocean processes besides AMOC need attention as well. 

Closing session and Ocean Night 

The closing session concluded the thematic part of the Congress program. Closing keynotes were given by Bogi Eliasen, CEO of Movement Health Foundation, and Chief Bill Erasmus, International Chair of the Arctic Athabaskan Council. Already looking towards the future, Deputy Director for Arctic Affairs of Sweden Jorid Hammersland brought greetings on behalf of the incoming Chairship of the Arctic Council and invited participants to join the next UArctic Congress in 2028 which will be hosted in Sweden during their Chairship. After a sound and light performance, the closing session concluded with a Faroese tradition as a local dance group pulled the closing reception audience to a chain dance – which also served as the inspiration for the 2026 Congress logo. 

The day ended with the Ocean Night, the final reception of the Congress. A menu curated by Faroese chef Gutti Winther featured local specialties such as sugar-cured Faroese salmon, and like the other social events on the program, the final reception also featured a local band, this one known for their occasionally chaotic style. The final reception was sponsored by Bakkafrost. 

Ocean Day opening session 

Moderator: Inge Thaulow, Head of Delegation to CAFF (Arctic Council Working Group on Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna), Kingdom of Denmark 

Keynotes: 

• Bárður á Steig Nielsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries 
• Christine Creyke, Gwich’in Council International, Permanent Participant of the Arctic Council 

Panelists: 

• Snorri Sigurdsson, Chair of CAFF 
• Rolf Rødven, Executive Secretary of AMAP (Arctic Council Working Group on Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) 
• Fredrik Juell Theisen, Head of Delegation and Vice-Chair to PAME (Arctic Council Working Group on Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment), Norway 
• Gunn-Britt Retter, Head of Delegation to the Arctic Council, Saami Council 

Thematic plenary, Oceans 

Chair: Adrian Lema, Head of Department at the Danish Meteorological Institute, Chair of the Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 

Keynote: Hjálmar Hátún, Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute 

Panelists: 

• Josephine Nymand, Director, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources 
• Lis Lindal Jørgensen, Senior Scientist, Institute of Marine Research in Norway 
• Tore Furevik, Director, Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, UArctic Board member 
• Hjálmar Hátún, Oceanographer, Faroe Marine Research Institute 

Closing session 

MCs: Anja Salo, Head of Communications, Arctic Council Secretariat and Lars Kullerud, President, UArctic 

Closing keynotes: 

• Bogi Eliasen, CEO of Movement Health Foundation 
• Chief Bill Erasmus, Council Member of the Arctic Athabaskan Council 

Closing speeches and thanks:  

• Margretha Jacobsen, Vice Chair, Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship of the Arctic Council 
• Jorid Hammersland, Deputy Director for Arctic Affairs of Sweden 
• Lars Kullerud, President, UArctic 
• Martin T. Zachariasen, Rector, University of the Faroe Islands 
• Marita Rasmussen, Director, Faroe Marine Research Institute 
• Outi Snellman, Secretary General, UArctic 
• Anna Sofía Lava, Chair, Congress Local Organising Committee, University of the Faroe Islands