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Arctic Council

The leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic.

Who we are

Who we are

Expert groups and task forces carry out additional work.

Where we focus

How we work

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Agreements and cooperation

The establishment of the Arctic Council was considered an important milestone enhancing cooperation in the circumpolar North. In the Ottawa Declaration, the eight Arctic States established the Council as a high-level forum to provide means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States – including the full consultation and full involvement of Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants.

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Data and knowledge

At any given time the Council’s subsidiary bodies – the Working and Expert Groups – are engaged in close to 100 projects and initiatives.

Arctic monitoring. Icon: Freepik/Flaticon
Monitoring

As the Arctic continues to experience a period of intense and accelerating change it has become increasingly important to have better information on the status and trends of the Arctic environment.

Credit: Freepik/Flaticon
Assessments

Through the ever-growing body of assessments produced by its six Working Groups, the Arctic Council serves as knowledge broker and global advocate for Arctic topics. The Working Groups’ assessments have been instrumental in bringing Arctic issues to a global arena through policy recommendations and international cooperation.

Recommendations

The strong knowledge base produced by the Arctic Council’s Working Groups and other subsidiary bodies feeds into recommendations for informed decision-making.

News and stories

Kicking off 2025: Interview with ACS Director Mathieu Parker

An exciting new year lies ahead for the Arctic Council and its standing secretariat in Tromsø; and so, we asked the Arctic Council Secretariat (ACS) Director Mathieu Park...
10 Jan 2025

Arctic Council Photography Contest

Call for photograph submissions, open until 31 December 2024
18 Dec 2024

Workshop on Ecosystem-Based Management Concludes: Managing Arctic marine ecosystems requires international, multidisciplinary, and cross-sectoral cooperation

To promote healthy and productive oceans and enhance sustainability of Arctic Ocean industries, the Norwegian Chairship of the Arctic Council (2023-2025) has focused on i...
17 Dec 2024
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