IASC has been an accredited Observer of the Arctic Council from its very beginning and is supporting the work of the Arctic Council, its Working Groups (WGs) and Permanent Participants (PPs) by providing scientific expertise from all its members, including the non-Arctic countries. IASC´s contributions so far have resulted in a number of very successful joint activities, such as the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), the Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA) report, and the Adaptation Actions in a Changing Arctic (AACA) assessment.
The ongoing collaborative activities of IASC and the Arctic Council and its WGs and PPs include both joint activities, IASC involvement in Arctic Council activities, and involvement of Arctic Council WGs and PPs in IASC activities.
IASC involvement in Arctic Council activities:
- Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON) was initiated by IASC and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) in 2007 and is now managed by a SAON Board, with the Arctic Council appointing the Chair and IASC appointing the Vice-Chair. Secretarial support is provided by AMAP and IASC.
- To ensure the factual content and scientific quality of Arctic Council reports and assessments, IASC coordinates the scientific review of some Arctic Council reports and assessments.
- IASC nominates experts to participate in Action Council WG activities, assessments, and meetings.
- IASC has participated in all Arctic Council Senior Arctic Official and Ministerial meetings, as well as meetings of the Arctic Council Task Force on Science Cooperation and on the invitation of the chairs the Executive Secretary presented status reports on the International Polar Partnership Initiative (IPPI) and an overview of the lessons learned from the International Polar Year (IPY).
- Arctic Council WGs (AMAP and CAFF – Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) as well as PPs (Indigenous Peoples Secretariats) were partners within the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III).
- Since 2013 the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat has been involved in the Arctic Science Summit Week and IASC provides travel support to enable the participation of Indigenous session conveners and presenters.
More information on the Arctic Council: https://arctic-council.org/en/