Observers

Observer status in the Arctic Council is open to:

non-arctic states
inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary organizations, global and regional
non-governmental organizations.

Criteria for admitting observers:

As set out in the Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council and governed by the Arctic Council Rules of Procedure, observer status in the Arctic Council is open to non-Arctic States; inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary organizations, global and regional; and non-governmental organizations that the Council determines can contribute to its work.

In the determination by the Council of the general suitability of an applicant for observer status the Council will, inter alia, take into account the extent to which observers:

Accept and support the objectives of the Arctic Council defined in the Ottawa declaration.
Recognize Arctic States' sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the Arctic.
Recognize that an extensive legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean including, notably, the Law of the Sea, and that this framework provides a solid foundation for responsible management of this ocean.
Respect the values, interests, culture and traditions of Arctic indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants.
Have demonstrated a political willingness as well as financial ability to contribute to the work of the Permanent Participants and other Arctic indigenous peoples.
Have demonstrated their Arctic interests and expertise relevant to the work of the Arctic Council.
Have demonstrated a concrete interest and ability to support the work of the Arctic Council, including through partnerships with member states and Permanent Participants bringing Arctic concerns to global decision making bodies.

Role of observers:

Decisions at all levels in the Arctic Council are the exclusive right and responsibility of the eight Arctic States with the involvement of the Permanent Participants.

Observers shall be invited to the meetings of the Arctic Council once observer status has been granted.
While the primary role of observers is to observe the work of the Arctic Council, observers should continue to make relevant contributions through their engagement in the Arctic Council primarily at the level of Working Groups.
Observers may propose projects through an Arctic State or a Permanent Participant but financial contributions from observers to any given project may not exceed the financing from Arctic States, unless otherwise decided by the SAOs.
In meetings of the Council’s subsidiary bodies to which observers have been invited to participate, observers may, at the discretion of the Chair, make statements after Arctic states and Permanent Participants, present written statements, submit relevant documents and provide views on the issues under discussion. Observers may also submit written statements at Ministerial meetings.

Observer Manual

At the 2013 Kiruna Ministerial Meeting an Arctic Council Observer Manual was formally adopted.

Twelve non-arctic countries have been admitted as observers to the Arctic Council:

France
Germany
The Netherlands
Poland
Spain
United Kingdom
People's Republic of China
Italian Republic
Japan
Republic of Korea
Republic of Singapore
Republic of India

Contact information

Nine Intergovernmental and Inter-Parliamentary Organizations have been given observer status:

At the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting in 2013, the Arctic Council “receive[d] the application of the EU for Observer status affirmatively”, but deferred a final decision. Until such time as Ministers of the Arctic States may reach a final decision, the EU may observe Council proceedings.

Eleven Non-governmental organizations are observers in the Arctic Council:

For further details on any of the Intergovernmental, Inter-Parliamentay or Non-governmental Organizations, please visit their websites by clicking on the relevant link listed here above.