TORILL EIDSHEIM (NORWAY)

OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (Georgia) appointed Torill Eidsheim (Norway) as Special Representative on Arctic Issues in May 2019.

She is a member of the Health and Care Services Committee and Chair of the Technology Group in the Norwegian Parliament, and has been a member of the Norwegian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly since 2013. From 2013 to 2107, she was a member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications and has also served as Deputy Chair the Conservative Party in Hordaland County.

As the Assembly’s Special Representative on Arctic Issues, Eidsheim works to raise awareness on issues impacting the High North, particularly those related to climate change and security, and to increase the OSCE PA’s joint work in the region with other international organizations.

She maintains contact with all relevant stakeholders dealing with the Arctic region and reports to the OSCE PA on relevant developments, proposing follow-up action when needed.

 “Arctic issues are a matter of relevance for all OSCE countries. As a matter of fact, what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic, but ripples throughout the globe,” said Eidsheim following her appointment on 24 May 2019. “Changes that affect us all will inevitably occur; this is why it is crucial to increase our collaborative efforts to prepare for the future.”

MANDATE

• Raise awareness in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly regarding Arctic issues
• Place a specific focus on challenges stemming from climate change and on its effects on society and security in and beyond the Arctic, working in close co-operation with the OSCE PA Second Committee
• Promote co-operation on Arctic issues within the OSCE PA among all Delegations, particularly within the Arctic region
• Maintain contact with and follow-up on the work of the OSCE regarding Arctic issues
• Maintain contact with and follow-up on the work of other international organizations, civil society, academia and all relevant stakeholders dealing with and involved in the Arctic region
• Monitor the situation in the Arctic region and report to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and to the President on relevant developments, proposing possible follow-ups when needed

VIDEOS

Report to the OSCE PA Standing Committee meeting, 24 February 2021

Parliamentary Web Dialogue "From the Arctic to Global: the Political Role in Addressing Climate Change", 16 September 2020

REPORTS

• Report of the Special Representative on Arctic Issues for the 20th Winter Meeting
• Report of the Special Representative on Arctic Issues for the 28th Annual Session

SPEECHES

• Special Representative on Arctic Issues Torill Eidsheim addresses PACE, 16 December 2019

RELATED ARTICLES

• Parliamentary input, greater urgency from governments needed to address climate crisis, say OSCE parliamentarians at webinar - 16 September 2020
• Highlights - Parliamentary Web Dialogue “From the Arctic to Global: The Political Role in Addressing Climate Change” - 16 September 2020
• Special Representative Eidsheim addresses Arctic challenges and climate change at the Marshall Centre - 3 March 2020
• OSCE PA’s Eidsheim speaks about developments in the Arctic and opportunities for co-operation at Council of Europe meeting - 16 December 2019
• OSCE PA at the 2019 Nordic Council in Stockholm: synergies between Nordic and OSCE agendas in focus - 31 October 2019
• Amazon and Arctic fires should be a wake-up call to world leaders, say OSCE PA’s Katsarava and Eidsheim - 27 August 2019
• In Oslo, OSCE PA delegation urges continued focus on High North, Tsereteli names new Special Representative on Arctic Issues - 24 May 2019
• In visit to Arctic region, OSCE PA leadership explores local and global impact of climate change - 23 May 2019