Yesterday, Iceland's President - Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson announced establishment of a new assembly for international cooperation on Arctic issues that can give non-Arctic countries like China, India and Singapore a forum for influence in the region.
The assembly, called the Arctic Circle, will have its inaugural gathering in Reykjavik, Iceland in October. The formation of the Arctic Circle was announced by Iceland's President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
The organization has been registered as a 501(c) 3 non-profit and is supported by private donations. The board of directors is led by Alice Rogoff, founder of the Alaska Dispatch and the Arctic Imperative Summit.
The mission of the Arctic Circle is to facilitate dialogue and build relationships to confront the Arctic's greatest challenges. The organization aims to strengthen the decision-making process by bringing together as many Arctic and international partners as possible under one large "open tent."
By facilitating circumpolar meetings of leaders across disciplines, the organization will identify truly sustainable development practices for the Arctic, the world's last pristine environment.
The Arctic Circle is nonprofit and nonpartisan. Organizations, forums, think tanks, corporations and public associations around the world are invited to hold meetings within the Arctic Circle platform without surrendering their institu¬tional independence.
Please, click here to read more about the Arctic Circle.
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