News

Background: The Gender Equality in the Arctic project

Gender Equality in the Arctic (GEA) is a project of the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

First joint meeting between the Arctic Council and the Arctic Economic Council

The Arctic Council and the Arctic Economic Council hold their first joint meeting in Reykjavik today, 9 October 2019, bringing together government representatives of the ...

Increased warming pushing Arctic freshwater ecosystems to the brink

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group has released the first circumpolar assessment of freshwater biodiversity across the Arctic.

Building knowledge and confidence in the Arctic

Editorial by Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials

A closer look at sea ice: An interview with AMAP expert Sebastian Gerland

Sebastian Gerland is a geophysicist at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø. As a specialist for sea ice and climate, he has contributed to several projects and report...

PAME releases first ‘plastic in a bottle’

The Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group launched the first bottle equipped with a GPS transmitter into the Atlantic on 12 Se...

Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative: a global partnership for Arctic-breeding migratory birds

At the most recent Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting (Rovaniemi, 6-7 May 2019), the Ministers of the Arctic States approved the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna’s ...

A source for Arctic optimism: The Blue Bioeconomy

Editorial by Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials

Put into reality: EPPR looks into the VIKING SKY incident

At its first Working Group meeting during the Icelandic Chairmanship, the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group held a workshop on the VIKI...

Wildfires don’t respect territorial boundary lines

The Arctic is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, affecting the environment and communities in the circumpolar North and beyond.

Interview with Magnús Jóhannesson, the Special Coordinator on Plastics

Magnús Jóhannesson is the Council’s designated special coordinator on plastics, marine litter. In this interview, the former Director of the Arctic Council Secretariat sp...

New Observer: The International Maritime Organization

IMO attaches a particular interest in the Council’s work on search and rescue, pollution response and maritime safety, as well as in the protection of the marine environm...

Interview with CAFF Chair Mark Marissink

"CAFF’s work is about biodiversity in the Arctic, which is quite unique and inspirational. It’s also about livelihoods for the people who live there. As Arctic countries ...

Interview with SDWG Chair Stefán Skjaldarson

"Climate change is affecting the environment very seriously and it will affect the livelihoods of people who are already marginalized by the geographic location and tough...

Interview with ACAP Chair Inger Johanne Wiese

"ACAP’s work is focused on pollution and short-lived climate drivers. Pollution is a threat to the Arctic ecosystem and people living there."

Interview with EPPR Chair Peter Holst-Andersen

"I think we are getting better at rescuing people and protecting the environment through the work we are doing in EPPR."

Interview with AMAP Chair Anders Turesson

"AMAP is a part of the knowledge production and it is extremely important that the knowledge that is produced by a large number of scientists reaches decision makers and ...

Towards an international symposium on plastics in the Arctic

The “International Symposium on the Threat of Plastics to the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Marine Environment” will take place in Reykjavik 21-23 April 2020.

First meeting during Iceland's Arctic Council Chairmanship

Iceland hosted its first Senior Arctic Officials’ (SAO) executive meeting since assuming the Arctic Council’s Chairmanship in May.

Arctic Council Ministers meet, pass Chairmanship from Finland to Iceland, Arctic States conclude Arctic Council Ministerial meeting by signing a joint statement

Today the Foreign Ministers from the eight Arctic States, leaders from the six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations and the Chairs of the Council’s six Working ...