Arctic Council logoThe Arctic Council is a high-level, inter-governmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic states, Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, especially issues of sustainable development and environmental protection. It was formally established in 1996 by the Ottawa Declaration.
The Council consists of Member States and Permanent Participants to provide for the active participation of, and full consultation with, Arctic Indigenous representatives within the Council. Open equally to Arctic organizations of Indigenous peoples with a majority of Arctic Indigenous constituency, the Permanent Participants represent: a single Indigenous people resident in more than one Arctic state; or more than one Arctic Indigenous people resident in a single Arctic state.
Arctic Council Member States |
Permanent Participants |
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Canada
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Aleut International Association
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Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands)
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Arctic Athabaskan Council
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Finland
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Gwich’in Council International
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Iceland
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Inuit Circumpolar Council
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Norway
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Russian Arctic Indigenous Peoples of the North  |
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Russian Federation
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Saami Council
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Sweden
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United States of America
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Working groups of the Arctic Council execute the programs and projects mandated by the Arctic Council ministers. Each working group, with its supporting scientific and technical expert groups, holds meetings at regular intervals throughout the year, ahead of the meetings of Senior Arctic Officials and Arctic Council Ministers.
