From 2-3 October, the Norwegian Chairship held a meeting with the six Indigenous Peoples’ organizations that have Permanent Participant status in the Arctic Council. More than 20 participants representing the Council’s six Permanent Participants gathered for the in-person meeting in Girkonjárga-Kirkenes on the margins of the Arctic Regional Gathering mandated by the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was co-organized and hosted by the Saami Council.
The meeting facilitated discussions on the resumption of Arctic Council activities at the Working Group level and the implementation of the Norwegian Chairship program. All Indigenous Permanent Participants were invited to share their priorities in the Arctic Council’s work, provide an update on their activities and discuss the way forward for the Arctic Council. Other topics discussed include the Norwegian Chairship’s cross-cutting priorities on Indigenous Peoples and youth and how to enhance Permanent Participants’ involvement in Arctic Council projects.
“The Permanent Participants are an integral part of the Arctic Council, and their input on Arctic Council matters and activities is highly valued,” said Morten Høglund, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials. “This meeting was important to align on and advance productive cooperation on the resumption of Working Group level activities and discussions on the current status and future of the Arctic Council. Multilateral people-to-people cooperation among Indigenous Peoples is integral to the mandate of the Arctic Council, and I am grateful to all participants for the constructive discussions this week, and for the opportunity to continue to support this cooperation.”
A similar Chairship-led meeting took place in June 2023 between the Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials and the Chairs and Executive Secretaries of the Arctic Council’s Working Groups and Expert Groups. Both meetings ensure alignment on the status of the Arctic Council, priorities during the Norwegian Chairship and work conducted by the Council’s Working Groups and Expert Group.Read more