Anna Degteva, who belongs to the Veps indigenous people of Russia, has been hired as the new Executive Secretary of the Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat.

-----

The third and final workshop of the Reducing the Incidence of Suicide in Indigenous Groups - Strengths United through Networks (RISING SUN) project is slated to take place in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada March 1-2, 2017.

Arctic Council Working Group ACAP (Arctic Contaminants Action Program) is working to expand the local environmental observer network, currently operating in North America, around the circumpolar Arctic. Read about their recent workshop...

The Arctic Resilience Report, launched last Friday, 25 November, identifies 19 tipping points that can and have occurred in Arctic marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.

The Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) met on 1-2 October, 2016 in Orono, Maine. The group focused on the progress of its projects and potential deliverables for 2017 Ministerial meeting.

A joint statement from Ministers of the Arctic States on the occasion of the Arctic Council's 20th anniversary

-----

A joint statement from Ministers of the Arctic States on the occasion of the Arctic Council's 20th anniversary

-----

On September 19, 1996 in Ottawa, the Arctic Council was established as a high level intergovernmental forum to enhance cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States with the active involvement of Arctic indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues. Today, we celebrate twenty years of Arctic cooperation and look forward to a long term future of peace and stability in the region.

In May, multiple meetings addressing human health issues in the Arctic took place in Tromsø. These included a workshop on reducing the incidence of suicide in indigenous groups, and a meeting of the Arctic Human Health Expert Group, or AHHEG.

The Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) met for the second time during the U.S. Chairmanship on 11-12 March 2016 in Barrow, Alaska.

At a meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, March 15-17, the Arctic Council gathered Senior Arctic Officials (SAOs) from the eight Arctic States, and the six Permanent Participant organizations representing indigenous peoples of the Arctic, to address ongoing efforts on a range of topics of high importance for the Arctic.

Read an interview with Roberta Burns, the Chair of the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

Representatives from the eight Arctic States and the Permanent Participants (six organizations representing Arctic Indigenous peoples) met in Anchorage, Alaska on October 20-22, 2015 to advance the work of the Arctic Council.

The Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) met recently in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska. The group discussed project ideas including solid waste handling in the Arctic, renewable energy microgrids and a remote energy training program, among others.

On 20-22 October 2015, the Arctic Council will convene in Anchorage, Alaska, for its first plenary meeting since the United States assumed the Chairmanship of the Council.  The meeting brings together the Arctic States, Permanent Participants (six organizations representing Arctic Indigenous peoples), Working Groups and Observers.

Arctic Council Working Groups ACAP, AMAP, CAFF and PAME all met during the week of 13-18 September 2015 in Tromsø, Norway. To mark the historic occasion, we’ve been highlighting a series of projects from their portfolios. This article focuses on a project looking at wild salmon and Arctic communities.

Traditional ways of life, including traditional practices, cultural skills, values, and spirituality, are vital to the health and wellbeing of Arctic indigenous peoples and communities. Factors such as globalization and climate change are altering the Arctic in unprecedented ways, and indigenous peoples are adapting and finding innovative ways to ensure traditional ways of life remain relevant in a changing Arctic. For many Arctic inhabitants, practicing these ways of life helps create a sense of cultural identity, fosters a close connection to nature, and provides them with an increased sense of control over their destiny.

Almost four million people live in the Arctic today, with the precise number depending on where the boundary is drawn. They include indigenous people and recent arrivals, hunters and herders living on the land, and city dwellers. Many distinct indigenous groups are found only in the Arctic, where they continue traditional activities and adapt to the modern world at the same time. Humans have long been a part of the arctic system, shaping and being shaped by the local and regional environment. In the past few centuries, the influx of new arrivals has increased pressure on the arctic environment through rising fish and wildlife harvests and industrial development.

Future Arctic Leaders met in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss key economic, social and environmental issues in the Arctic...

The Arctic is undergoing rapid changes and the Arctic Council is adapting to better address the opportunities and challenges that come with change.

During Canada’s Chairmanship, much of the Arctic Council’s work focused on initiatives that support the well-being and prosperity of Arctic residents...