The presentation conference of Italy’s new strategic document on the Arctic, entitled “Italian Arctic Policy. Italy and the Arctic: the values of cooperation in a rapidly transforming region”, took place on 16 January 2026 in Rome at Villa Madama.
Rising temperatures (in the Arctic between three and four times the global average) and the gradual melting of ice have increased attention to the region, considering not only the understandable environmental concerns, but also its possible greater economic exploitation. With a long tradition of polar expeditions dating back over a hundred years, Italy has been an Observer State to the Arctic Council since 2013. Scientific research is the driving force behind Italy’s action in the Arctic and takes the “Dirigibile Italia” Base in Svalbard (Norway), active since 1997, as its main point of reference. With a view to providing further momentum to these activities, the 2018 Budget Law established the Scientific Committee for the Arctic, whose primary task is to draft and monitor the Arctic Research Programme. Furthermore, the Arctic Table – with the participation of Ministries, companies and entities interested in the region – meets regularly at the Foreign Ministry.
The main forum for regional collaboration is the Arctic Council, established in 1996 and composed of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. The Arctic Council includes six Arctic indigenous peoples’ associations as Permanent Participants. It operates through working groups on sustainable development, environmental monitoring, marine environment protection, biodiversity conservation, as well as emergency prevention and management. The Arctic Council suspended its activities in early March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which held the two-year rotating Presidency of the Council. The activities were later resumed following the handover of the Presidency to Norway on May 11, 2023. From May 13, 2025 until 2027, the Presidency will be held by Denmark. There are many conferences on Arctic topics: among those held annually, the most noteworthy are Arctic Circle, which takes place in October in Reykjavìk, and Arctic Frontiers, which takes place in Tromsø between late January and early February.
In the Insights section, you can find further information and documents on Italy in the Arctic and the region’s leading international bodies of interest.