Arctic Council
About
- The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous Peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
- It was established in Ottawa, Canada in 1996 by the Ottawa Declaration.
- Member states of the council include eight Arctic States (whose territories fall in the Arctic region) — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
- India is an observer of the Arctic Council.
- The council also has a number of permanent participants drawn from groups that represent communities and peoples indigenous to the Arctic.
- All Arctic Council decisions and statements require consensus of the eight Arctic States.
- Secretariat: Norway.