News Releases

At the meeting just concluded in Rovaniemi, Finland, the Arctic Council focused its discussions on Arctic biodiversity and received updates from all the Council’s subsidiary bodies on their ongoing work.

On 1-2 November 2018, the Arctic Council will gather in Rovaniemi, Finland for the third Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting held during the Chairmanship of Finland (2017-2019).

The Arctic Environment Ministers’ meeting held in Rovaniemi 11-12 October ended with discussions about cooperation in addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and preventing pollution in the Arctic region. The two-day meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from the eight Arctic Council States and from six Permanent Participants representing the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. The Observer countries and organizations of the Arctic Council had also been invited.

The Finnish Chairmanship is organizing an Arctic Environment Ministers’ meeting (AEMM) in Rovaniemi, Finland, 11-12 October 2018. The meeting will gather the Ministers of the Environment of the eight Arctic States, six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, Arctic Council’s six Working Groups, as well as Arctic Council Observers. The meeting will be chaired by Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing of Finland.

The Arctic Resilience Forum held in Rovaniemi, Finland, 10-11 September gathered around 100 Arctic experts, policymakers, and various key stakeholders. The purpose of the event was to strengthen cooperation on work related to resilience to the impacts of climate change and to present and discuss resilience best-practices from Arctic Council Working Groups’ and other stakeholder’s projects.

The Arctic Resilience Forum, an international conference organised by Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Rovaniemi on 10–11 September 2018, seeks to develop the resilience of the Arctic region to climate change.

In a panel held at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, several speakers highlighted the unique model of the Arctic Council in supporting science diplomacy, bringing governments, indigenous peoples, and the scientific community together in support of sustainable development in the region.

The Arctic Council is proud to host a Ministerial side event at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2018, taking place in New York.

The Arctic Council marks a special occasion on 23 May 2018 as the "Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation," signed in May 2017, enters into force.

At the meeting just concluded in Levi, Finland, the Arctic Council addressed the major themes of meteorological cooperation and improvement of telecommunications in the region.

On 22-23 March 2018, the Arctic Council will gather in Levi, Finland for the second Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting held during the Chairmanship of Finland (2017-2019).

A table-top exercise of the 2013 Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic will be run in Oulu, Finland, on 7 March 2018. The exercise will test cooperation and coordination processes in the event of a real-world marine oil incident.

At the meeting just concluded in Oulu, Finland, the Arctic Council addressed overarching issues for the region like pollution prevention and education. 

The Arctic Council hosted "The global implications of a rapidly-changing Arctic" at COP23 in Bonn. Monday, 6 November, 13:15-14:45 in the Bonn Zone.

On 25-26 October 2017, the Arctic Council will gather in Oulu, Finland for the first Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting held during the Chairmanship of Finland (2017-2019).

At the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, Ministers of the eight Arctic States and leaders from the six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations of the Arctic Council met to mark the passing of the Chairmanship from the U.S. to Finland. Ministers also signed the third binding agreement negotiated under the auspices of the Council.

On 11 May 2017, the Foreign Ministers of the eight Arctic States will convene, together with delegations from the Council's indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, for the tenth biennial Arctic Council Ministerial meeting.

Two media availabilities are coming up on Tuesday 25 April 2017 in Reston, Virginia. Both will offer insight into many of the deliverables that will be highlighted during the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting coming up on 11 May 2017 in Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A.

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On May 11, the United States will host the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska. Minister-level representatives from the eight Arctic States will convene to review and approve work completed under the two-year U.S. Chairmanship to improve sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

Senior officials from the Arctic Council’s eight Member States and six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations (PPs) met in Juneau in preparation for the upcoming Fairbanks Ministerial meeting, which will take place in May 2017.