Policy

Benjamin DeAngelo, NOAA’s climate program director, was appointed Chair of AMAP, underscoring a new focus on science‑policy linkages, transparent reporting, and indigenous participation in Arctic climate assessments.

Dr. Mia Rönkä has been appointed Chair of the Arctic Conservation of Flora and Fauna Working Group, outlining priorities for inclusive co‑creation, Indigenous collaboration, and a joint climate research project with AMAP.

Dr. Jessica Nilsson, newly appointed Chair of the Arctic Council’s PAME Working Group, seeks to unite stakeholders and advance science‑based policy for the Central Arctic Ocean’s high‑sea fishing agreement.

The Arctic Council's first executive meeting under Russian chairmanship (29‑30 June) will focus on implementing the Reykjavik Declaration, the 2021‑2030 Strategic Plan, and four priority areas: Indigenous peoples, climate protection, socioeconomic development, and council

The International Agreement to Prevent Unregulated Fishing in the High Seas of the Central Arctic Ocean has entered into force, banning commercial fishing by its 10 signatories for 16 years while science gathers data on the region’s emerging ecosystem.

The Arctic Council’s PAME Working Group is launching additional GPS‑equipped plastic capsules to trace how North Sea and Baltic litter enters Arctic waters, highlighting transport routes and informing mitigation.

Nina Buvang Vaaja, who has led the Arctic Council Secretariat for twelve years, drove its transition to a standing body, expanding staff and building institutional trust across Arctic states.

ICC Greenland has joined the Arctic Economic Council to bolster indigenous representation and promote sustainable, diversified economic development in the Arctic, particularly for Greenland.

Norway has expanded its national park on Svalbard, converting former coal mining sites into protected land, bolstering Arctic conservation.

The interview recounts how Hans Jakob Helms helped secure Indigenous Peoples' participation in the 1980s Arctic Council, leading to the creation of an Indigenous Secretariat and fostering post-Cold War Arctic cooperation.

The Arctic Economic Council and St. Petersburg Committee for Arctic Affairs signed an MOU to exchange expertise on maritime transport, energy, connectivity, investment and infrastructure, boosting Arctic economic collaboration.

Russia assumes chair of Arctic Economic Council today, prioritizing shipping safety, sustainable investment, and stronger ties with the Arctic Council.

Russia has declared that eliminating nuclear waste dumped in the Arctic will be a top priority of its Arctic Council leadership, signalling a push for broader regional cooperation on hazardous waste cleanup.

Arctic Council ministers in Reykjavik signed the Reykjavik Declaration, adopted a first Strategic Plan for the next decade, and transferred the Chairmanship from Iceland to Russia, marking a milestone in Arctic governance.

In May 2021, Russia resumed chairmanship of the Arctic Council, focusing on sustainable development, Indigenous welfare, and climate‑change mitigation to strengthen Arctic cooperation.

Arctic Indigenous peoples—Inuit, Sámi, and Russian—organized circumpolar meetings and negotiated Permanent Participant status in the Arctic Council, securing formal representation alongside Arctic States.

In 1996, the eight Arctic states founded the Arctic Council in Ottawa, signing the Ottawa Declaration with limited media presence and incorporating indigenous peoples as permanent participants, shaping Arctic governance.

EALLU, an Arctic Council SDWG initiative, mobilizes Indigenous youth to document and revitalize traditional food knowledge, strengthening food security, sovereignty, and economic resilience amid climate change.

Arctic Indigenous communities, backed by the Arctic Council and international partners, are implementing revitalization projects—including digital tools and exhibitions—to protect languages that hold vital traditional knowledge and cultural identity.

The Arctic Council and IASC launched SAON in 2011 to create a pan‑Arctic observing system, promoting open data, Indigenous participation, and guiding long‑term monitoring through the AOS.

The article outlines how Arctic communities are largely diesel‑dependent, highlights pilot renewable projects such as Polmos Tundra’s hybrid wind‑diesel system, and stresses that policy support and funding from Arctic states and the EU are essential to enable a viable

Arctic shipping traffic rose 25% between 2013 and 2019, raising environmental concerns and prompting Arctic Council coordination to safeguard marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

Mercury emitted globally travels to the Arctic, accumulates in ecosystems and Indigenous diets, prompting science‑driven policy efforts and action projects to reduce emissions and protect Arctic health.

The Arctic Council’s Gender Equality in the Arctic project reports on gender gaps and recommends better data collection and mainstreaming to support sustainable Arctic policy.

The OECD will launch a report on the economic benefits of reducing air pollution in Arctic Council states on April 28, 2021, with an online event co‑hosted by the Icelandic chairmanship.