15. Recognises that the effects of melting ice and milder temperatures not only bear the risk of displacing indigenous populations and thereby threatening the indigenous way of life, but also create opportunities for economic development in the Arctic region; acknowledges the wish of the inhabitants and governments of the Arctic region with sovereign rights and responsibilities to continue to pursue sustainable economic development while at the same time protecting traditional sources of the indigenous peoples’ livelihood and the very sensitive nature of Arctic ecosystems;

The OCTs comprise 25 islands which are spread around the Atlantic, Antarctic, Arctic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean.

27. Notes the increased activity surrounding the exploration of oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean and the Arctic; believes that the EU should promote the development of an international legal framework for the protection of the High Arctic, on lines similar to those already established for the Antarctic in the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental Protection; considers that for other parts of the Arctic which fall within the exclusive economic zones of EU Member States or EEA countries, there is an urgent need for the proposed regulation on the safety of offshore oil and gas to include drilling requirements which ensure that remote areas are not exposed to a higher risk than other areas and that extreme operating condit ...[+++]ions, such as long-lasting darkness, icy conditions or deep water, are accurately reflected in the authorisation process;

(iii)in South-East Asia, the Pacific and the Far East: Brunei Darussalam, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

in South-East Asia, the Pacific and the Far East: Brunei Darussalam, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

3. Underlines that Arctic species and societies have developed highly specialised methods of adaptation to the harsh conditions found at the poles, thus making them extremely vulnerable to dramatic changes in these conditions; is very concerned for walruses, polar bears, seals and other marine mammals which rely on sea-ice for resting, feeding, hunting and breeding, and which are particularly threatened by climate change;