On 20 May, Iceland will host the 12th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Reykjavik and online. The meeting marks the end of the two-year Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and the beginning of the Russian Federation’s Chairmanship for the years 2021-2023.
You can watch the live stream of the Ministerial meeting here on 20 May 2021, 08:30-11:30 GMT.
"The meeting is also the first to be hosted in-person, under the auspices of the Arctic Council, since the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to gatherings in early 2020. Owing to the situation the meeting will be held in reduced format, with Foreign Ministers from the eight Arctic States and representatives of the Indigenous Permanent Participants on site in Reykjavik and the majority of delegates joining the meeting through an online platform. The meeting will review and welcome around 80 deliverables compiled by the Council’s Working Groups during the Icelandic Chairmanship. Arctic Ministers furthermore plan to sign a Reykjavik Declaration and to mark the Council’s 25th anniversary by adopting the first ever strategic plan of the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is the pre-eminent intergovernmental forum for cooperation on Arctic affairs. The Council’s Ministerial meeting is held every two years, giving the Foreign Ministers of the eight Arctic States and the political leadership of the six Indigenous Permanent Participants the opportunity to strengthen international cooperation in the region, and review the quality work produced by the Council’s Working Groups. A preview of select key reports and other deliverables that will be released at the Ministerial meeting will be presented in four thematic briefings on the topics of climate change, Arctic shipping, human health and innovation in Arctic communities". Read the full press release on the Arctic Council webpage.