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Arctic Council
The Arctic Council, established in Ottawa in 1996 with the Ottawa Declaration (PDF Version, 517 KB)*, continues to be the leading multilateral forum through which we advance our Arctic foreign policy and promote Canadian Arctic interests internationally. The Arctic Council is a consensus-based, high level intergovernmental forum that works to promote the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development in the Arctic region.
The Arctic Council comprises the eight Arctic States: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States.
Canada was the first Chair of the Arctic Council from 1996 to 1998. The Chair of the Council rotates among the member countries every two years. Sweden succeeded Denmark as the Chair of the Council in May 2011. Canada will Chair the Council in 2013.
A unique feature of the Arctic Council is the involvement of six international Indigenous peoples organizations as Permanent Participants:
- Aleut International Association (AIA);
- Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC);
- Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC);
- Gwich’in Council International (GCI);
- Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON); and
- Saami Council.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, through the Northern Dimension Fund, provides funding to the Permanent Participants with Canadian membership so that they may participate in Arctic Council activities.
The Arctic Council has successfully developed a common agenda among Arctic states and Indigenous Permanent Participants, which serves as a foundation for strong, responsible and cooperative governance of the region.
Canada’s Involvement in the Arctic Council
The work of the Arctic Council is supervised and directed by ministers of foreign affairs of the Arctic states, who are supported by the Senior Arctic Officials. Sheila Riordon, Director General for the Environment, Energy and Sustainable Development Bureau, is Canada’s Senior Arctic Official.
Canada actively participates in the work of the Arctic Council. This work is carried out in six expert working groups focusing on such issues as monitoring, assessing and preventing pollution in the Arctic, climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, emergency preparedness and prevention, and the living conditions of the Arctic residents.
Arctic Council Working Groups
The Arctic Contaminants Action Plan Working group
The mandate of the Arctic Contaminants Action Program Working Group (ACAP) is to provide information and encourage Arctic states to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants and other releases of pollutants. The Head of Canada’s delegation to ACAP is Vincenza Galatone, Executive Director of the Chemical Management Division of Environment Canada.
The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Working Group
The mandate of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Working Group (AMAP) is to provide reliable and sufficient information on the status of, and threats to, the Arctic environment, and provide scientific advice on actions to be taken in order to support Arctic governments in their efforts to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants. Canada is the current chair of AMAP. As chair, Canada has led and made significant contributions to recent Arctic Council scientific assessments including to the 2011 Mercury in the Arctic Assessment and the 2011 assessment of Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic. Russel Shearer of the Northern Science and Contaminants Research Directorate at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is the current Chair of AMAP. Fred Wrona of the Water Science and Technology Directorate of Environment Canada is Canada’s Head of delegation to AMAP.
The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group
The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group (CAFF) is the Biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council and its mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic‘s living resources. Successfully conserving the natural environment in the face of rapidly increasing development requires accurate baseline data on long-term status and trends of Arctic biodiversity, habitats and ecosystem health. CAFF projects provide data for informed decision making in resolving the challenges which are now arising in trying to both conserve the natural environment and permit regional growth. This work is based upon cooperation between all Arctic countries, indigenous organizations, international conventions and organizations. Canada leads the Arctic Council’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) - an international network of scientists, government agencies, Indigenous organizations and conservation groups working together to harmonize and integrate efforts to monitor the Arctic’s living resources. The CBMP office is currently located in Whitehorse, Yukon. Environment Canada is the Government of Canada lead for CAFF.
The Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group
The mandate of the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group (EPPR) is to deal with the prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic. On June 15-16 2011, Canada hosted a meeting of EPPR in Whitehorse, Yukon. The head of Canada’s delegation to EPPR is from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
The Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group
The mandate of the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group (PAME) is to address policy and non-emergency pollution prevention and control measures related to the protection of the Arctic marine environment from both land and sea-based activities. These include coordinated action programmes and guidelines complementing existing legal arrangements. Canada has taken a leadership role in a number of PAME projects and initiatives such as the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009 Report and the current Arctic Ocean Review Project. Canada’s participation in PAME includes officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, Environment Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the territorial governments, and marine experts from outside of government.
The Sustainable Development Working Group
The goal of the sustainable development program of the Arctic Council is to propose and adopt steps to be taken by the Arctic States to advance sustainable development in the Arctic, including opportunities to protect and enhance the environment and the economies, culture and health of Indigenous Peoples and Arctic communities, as well as to improve the environmental, economic and social conditions of Arctic communities as a whole. The guiding tenet running throughout the work of the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) is to pursue initiatives that provide practical knowledge and contribute to building the capacity of Indigenous Peoples and Arctic communities to respond to the challenges and benefit from the opportunities emerging in the Arctic Region. Key areas of activity undertaken by the SDWG include, but are not limited to: Arctic human health; climate change adaptation; Arctic socio-economic issues; Arctic cultures and languages; energy and Arctic communities; and management of natural resources. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is the Government of Canada lead for SDWG.
Arctic Council Task Forces
The Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response
The Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response (PDF Version, 677 KB)* was created at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Nuuk, Greenland in 2011. The mandate of this Task Force is to develop an international instrument on Arctic marine oil pollution preparedness and response. The preliminary or final results of this Task Force are to be presented at the next Ministerial Meeting in 2013. Canada’s involvement in this Task Force is led by the Canadian Coast Guard.
The Task Force on Short-Lived climate Forcers
The Arctic Council’s Tromso Declaration (April 2009) established a Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (PDF Version, 4.55 MB)* (black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone) with a mandate to exchange information on measures to address SLCFs in the Arctic States and develop recommendations for voluntary actions to reduce emissions. The Task Force initially focused on black carbon, and presented a Progress Report and Recommendations for Ministers to the Arctic Council Ministerial, May 12, 2011. These were endorsed and the Task Force is now continuing and completing its mandate which also includes methane and ozone emissions, and will provide a report to the next Ministerial meeting in 2013. Environment Canada represents the Government of Canada on this Task Force.
The Task Force on Search and Rescue
In response to the potential for increased search and rescue requirements in the North, Arctic Council Ministers established in 2009 a Task Force on Search and Rescue (PDF Version, 725 KB)* to develop an international instrument on cooperation on search and rescue operations in the Arctic. The search and rescue Task Force, comprised of delegations from the eight Arctic states, met five times and concluded negotiations on the Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic in December 2010. As the legal depositary for the Agreement (PDF Version, 94.8 KB)*, Canada will have an ongoing role in its implementation. More importantly, as a first step towards operationalizing the Agreement, Canada hosted a table-top exercise with other Arctic states in October 2011 in Whitehorse, Yukon.
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