THE ARCTIC COUNCIL FACTS
Here is some information that i discovered while searching the web on the topic of the Arctic Council.
The arctic Council was established by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996.
Ottawa Declaration. http://www.international.gc.ca/arctic-arctique/ottdec-decott.aspx?lang=eng
The Arctic Council is the preeminent intergovernmental forum for addressing issues related to the Arctic Region.
The members of the Arctic Council include the eight countries with territory above the Arctic Circle:
1. Canada,
2. Denmark,
3. Finland,
4. Iceland,
5. Norway,
6. Sweden,
7. Russian Federation,
8. United States).
Plus six Permanent Participants (PP) groups representing the indigenous people of the Arctic.
Which include:
Aleut International Association,
Arctic Athabaskan Council,
Gwich’in Council International,
Inuit Circumpolar Council,
Russian Arctic Indigenous Peoples of the North,
Saami Council.
The Arctic Council is not a treaty-based international organization but rather an international forum that operates on the basis of consensus, echoing the peaceful and cooperative nature of the Arctic Region.
The Council focuses its work on matters related to sustainable development, the environment, and scientific cooperation; its mandate explicitly excludes military security.
Traditionally, the Council is chaired by the foreign minister of the country holding the chairmanship. Its day-to-day work is carried out by the eight Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) and six PP representatives, with input from working groups, expert groups, and task forces. To learn more about the Arctic Council, please visit their website at: www.arctic-council.org
This year 2017 the Arctic Council is chaired by Finland.