Arctic Council

Arctic Council
FormationSeptember 19, 1996; 28 years ago (1996-09-19) (Ottawa Declaration)
TypeIntergovernmental organization
PurposeForum for promoting cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic states, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities
HeadquartersTromsø, Norway (since 2012)
Membership
8 member countries
  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Russia
  • Sweden
  • United States
13 observer countries
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Singapore
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
Main organ
Secretariat
Websitearctic-council.org

The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arcticregion. At present, eight countries exercise sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic Circle, and these constitute the member states of the council: Canada; Denmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Russia; Sweden; and the United States. Other countries or national groups can be admitted as observer states, while organizations representing the concerns of indigenous peoples can be admitted as indigenous permanent participants.[1]

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