Arctic Council

The Arctic Council is the principal intergovernmental forum for cooperation on issues faced by Arctic governments and peoples. It was established through the Ottawa Declaration, 1996, with particular emphasis on sustainable development and environmental protection.

Composition

The Council combines state membership with formal participation by Arctic Indigenous peoples.

• Its eight member states are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
• Organizations representing Arctic Indigenous peoples participate as Permanent Participants and receive full consultation in the Council's negotiations and decisions.
• Approved non-Arctic states, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations may participate as Observers, but decision-making authority remains with the eight Arctic states.
• India became an Observer in 2013.

Mandate

The Council promotes cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states, Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues.

• Its central fields are environmental protection and sustainable development, including scientific assessment, pollution monitoring, biodiversity and climate-related issues.
• The Ottawa Declaration expressly excludes matters concerning military security from the Council's mandate.
• Technical and scientific work is conducted mainly through specialized working groups, whose assessments inform policy cooperation.

Decision-making and legal character

Council decisions are taken by consensus of the eight Arctic states, with the full consultation and involvement of Permanent Participants. The Council is a forum rather than a supranational authority, so its assessments and recommendations are generally not legally binding, although it has facilitated separate binding agreements among Arctic states.