cnr.it – Arctic Circle Assembly 2025: Italy’s commitment to science and diplomacy

18/10/2025

More than 2,000 participants, including scientists, government officials, policymakers, and representatives from civil society, gathered from over 60 countries to address key topics such as climate change, Arctic security, science diplomacy, and sustainable development.

Italy played a prominent role through several institutions, including the National Research Council (Cnr), which via its Institute of Polar Sciences (Cnr-Isp) organized the panel Changing Arctic Systems: Scientific Insights and Sustainable Solutions. “At the Arctic Circle Assembly, I brought the voice of Italian research, and in particular that of the Cnr scientific community, which has long studied the Arctic and the cryosphere as interconnected global systems,” said Giuliana Panieri, Director of Cnr-Isp. “Our mission is to understand these changes and translate research into action for the sustainability of the planet.”

Science diplomacy was the focus of the panel Heading to the Rome Forum 2026: Italy’s Role in the Changing Arctic, organized by the Arctic Observatory. “Science is not just knowledge, it is also diplomacy, trust-building, and cooperation,” Giuliana Panieri continued. “Today, science diplomacy is essential to keeping international dialogue open and strengthening scientific collaboration, especially in a complex geopolitical context like the Arctic.”

Agostino Pinna, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the Arctic, outlined Italy’s current Arctic policies and stated: “Italy’s presence at the Arctic Circle Assembly has grown significantly over the years. In the 2025 edition, we were represented by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, University and Research, the Cnr, and numerous national experts. The participation of Undersecretary of Defence Senator Rauti, who announced the Arctic Circle Forum Polar Dialogue to be held in Rome in March 2026, underscored the growing commitment of the Italian system to broaden its perspective on the Arctic.”

At the close of the event, the call for panel submissions for the upcoming Arctic Circle Rome Forum Polar Dialogue was officially launched (https://www.arcticcircle.org/forums). The event is organized by the Ministry of University and Research and the National Research Council, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), with the involvement of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. It will take place on March 3–4, 2026, at the Cnr headquarters in Rome, with support from the Department of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technologies (Dsstta-Cnr).

Senator Isabella Rauti, Undersecretary of State for Defence and head of the Italian delegation in Reykjavík, which included MUR, MAECI, and Cnr,  concluded: “Italy is fully aware that the Arctic region is undergoing profound transformations,  from the progressive melting of ice caused by climate change, to the opening of new maritime and commercial routes, and the growing risk of uncontrolled exploitation of its natural resources, including rare earth elements and strategic raw materials. This fragile and vital ecosystem must be protected through shared commitments and objectives, and through scientific cooperation aimed at peaceful development. In Reykjavík, we also reaffirmed Italy’s support for the Arctic Council and its inclusive, dialogue-based governance, exercised in a time of pervasive global instability and the resurgence of threatening geopolitical approaches.”

[Fonte: www.cnr.it]