On 28 February 2024, it was announced by the Arctic Council secretariat that a consensus was reached for the gradual resumption of official Working Group meetings in a virtual format.
In February, the eight Arctic States, in collaboration with Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, unanimously agreed to gradually reintroduce official Working Group meetings in a virtual format. Before this decision, project work and decision-making within the Working Groups relied solely on written procedures following the consensus reached in August 2023. The resumption of these meetings represents a significant stride by the Arctic Council, ensuring a critical step forward in maintaining its role as the primary platform for circumpolar collaboration on matters of environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic. This move will facilitate the advancement of project-level work within the Council.
In resuming virtual Working Group meetings, the Arctic Council aims to improve efficiency and collaboration within project work, enabling Working Groups to tackle more complex issues. The ability to meet virtually extends to all project-level teams and Expert Groups to ensure the advancement of project-level work. Observers and external experts are invited to reengage in these meetings as relevant. The resumption of official Working Group meetings will take place gradually over the next three to four months.
As Chair of the Arctic Council’s Senior Arctic Officials, Morten Høglund will play an active role in the resumption of Working Group meetings, reviewing and providing guidance to Working Groups as they begin to plan schedules for project and Plenary meetings. This critical step forward ensures that the Arctic Council continues to deliver on its mandate as the preeminent forum for circumpolar collaboration on issues of environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic.
Official Arctic Council meetings were put on pause in March 2022. The 13th Meeting of the Arctic Council took place in May 2023, where representatives of the eight Arctic States and six Indigenous Permanent Participants convened to conclude the two-year Russian Chairmanship and mark the beginning of the Norwegian Chairship 2023-2025. The gradual resumption of virtual Working Group meetings will be the first working-level meetings to take place since March 2022. Diplomatic-level meetings on the Senior Arctic Official-level will remain on pause until such time as consensus is reached by the Arctic States, in consultation with Permanent Participants, on further modalities for their resumption.
Source: Arctic Council
About the Arctic Council
The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic states, Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular, on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. The work of the Council is primarily carried out in six Working Groups: ACAP, AMAP, CAFF, EPPR, PAME and SDWG. Member states are Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States.
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