Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world
Explore session recordings and other highlights featuring the Arctic Initiative.
Each year, Arctic Circle Assembly brings together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and leaders from across disciplines to exchange ideas about the future of the Arctic.
This year, nine Arctic Initiative team members took part in 26 sessions, showcasing the full range of our research focus areas, from sustainable ocean management, to Arctic governance and security, to the impacts of permafrost thaw.
Whether you joined us in Reykjavík or are catching up from afar, explore the session recordings and other selected highlights from ACA featuring our team below.
Sara Olsvig and David Balton shake hands during Arctic Circle Assembly 2026 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Our Senior Fellow David Balton joined Sara Olsvig, Arctic Circle’s Senior Emissary for the Central Arctic Ocean and a member of our international advisory board, for a conversation about the present and future of the Central Arctic Ocean. Reflecting on the success of the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, Balton and Olsvig discussed the treaty’s potential as a model for future agreements governing industrial activities in the region. Watch the plenary recording.
Watch the plenary recording of "Arctic Shipping 101: Policy, Ports & Polar Vessels."
During the plenary, “Arctic Shipping 101: Policy, Ports, and Polar Vessels,” our new Director Abbie Tingstad helped bust common myths about Arctic shipping. Tingstad provided an overview of military maritime presence in the North American and European Arctic regions, emphasizing that military traffic has shifted in character over the last five years, though it remains relatively low-volume throughout the Arctic.
From left: David Balton; Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Director of Climate Initiatives at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium; Edward Alexander, Co-Chair, Gwich'in Council International; Susan Natali, Senior Scientist, Woodwell Climate Research Center; Rolf Rødven, AMAP Executive Secretary; and John Holdren.
Our Co-Chair John Holdren and Senior Fellow David Balton joined colleagues from the Woodwell Climate Research Center, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme to reflect on the last five years of progress on permafrost science and action. Catch up on the latest updates from the Permafrost Pathways Project.
From left: Icelandic MP Halla Logadóttir, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Swedish MP Alexandra Anstrell, Greenlandic MP Nivi Rosing and Finnish MP Kim Berg.
Halla Logadóttir, an Initiative Affiliate and an Icelandic MP, moderated a session on the role of parliamentarians in Arctic security. In their own words, elected officials from the United States, Sweden, Greenland, and Finland assessed their impact in dealing with existing Arctic security challenges, both at the national level and by participating in international cooperation. Read Arctic Today’s coverage of the session.