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Arctic Council: activities and composition of countries

In the world there are many organizations that direct their activities to the development of specific regions, pursuing the most positive goals. Among them is the Arctic Council, which, of course, is a fairly vivid example of successful cooperation.

What is meant by the Arctic Council

In 1996, an international organization was established , whose goal is to develop cooperation in the Arctic. As a consequence, it received a completely logical name - the Arctic Council (AC). It consists of 8 Arctic states: Canada, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, USA and Finland. The council also involves 6 organizations that were formed by the indigenous population.

In 2013, the Arctic Council Granted observer status to six new countries: India, Italy, China, South Korea, Singapore and Japan. The number of observers was expanded to promote the development of relations between countries that have their own interests in the Arctic.

This change was made on the basis of the constituent Declaration. This document implies the possibility of granting observer status to non-Arctic countries.

The importance of a program aimed at sustainable development

It is necessary to understand that the Arctic belongs to those regions of the planet where the protection of the environment, the conservation of biological diversity, the use of natural resources that do not lead to depletion, and the maintenance of the health of ecosystems as a whole are extremely important. The activities of the Arctic Council are aimed at ensuring that these priorities remain in focus.

In 2013, Council members also signed an agreement that obliges them to coordinate responses to incidents related to marine pollution. Later, another similar initiative was implemented, but already with regard to rescue and search operations.

What is the essence of the sustainable development program?

In any projects promoted by the Arctic Council, the following priorities are taken into account on a mandatory basis:

  • The work carried out by the members of the Council should be based on exclusively reliable scientific information, prudent management and conservation of resources, as well as traditional knowledge of the indigenous and local population. The key goal of such activities is to derive a tangible benefit from the innovative processes and knowledge that are used in the northern communities.
  • Continuous capacity building at all levels of society.
  • Use the sustainable development program to provide advanced generations of the North with enhanced opportunities. Important is also economic activity, which will be able to create human capital and wealth. The natural capital of the Arctic should be preserved.
  • The key attention is paid to those projects that are aimed at strengthening local leadership and are able to guarantee the regions and specific communities maximum benefit in the long term.
  • The activities of the countries of the Arctic Council should be organized in such a way that the replenishment of the needs of the present generation does not jeopardize the well-being of the subsequent. Therefore, social, economic and cultural aspects of the development of the region are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

Areas that require the most attention in the process of implementing the sustainable development program

At the moment, the countries of the Arctic Council Focus on Active participation in the stabilization of certain areas of the social, cultural and economic spheres of the region. These are the following priority areas:

  1. Cultural and educational heritage, which is the foundation for the successful development and capacity building of the region.
  2. Well-being and health of people living in the Arctic.
  3. Infrastructure development. This is a necessary condition for stable economic growth, as a result, improving the quality of life of people who live in the Arctic.
  4. Formation and protection of educational and cultural heritage. These factors can be defined as the fundamental prerequisite for the stable development of the region and the growth of its capital.
  5. Youth and children. The well-being of young people is extremely important for the future of the Arctic communities. Therefore, they need protection and attention from the Arctic Council.
  6. Competent use of natural resources.

The sustainable development program implies quality work in each of the above areas.

Structure of the AC

The supreme body coordinating the activities of the Arctic Council is the sessions held twice a year at the level of foreign ministers representing the participating countries. And the presiding country is constantly changing by voting.

With regard to the preparation of sessions and current issues related to the activities of the Council, they are dealt with by the Committee of Senior Officials. This working body meets at least 2 times a year.

The Arctic Council is an organization in which there are 6 thematic working groups. Each of them carries out its activities on the basis of a special mandate. These working groups are managed by the chairman, the board (maybe the steering committee) and the secretariat. The purpose of such divisions of the Council is the development of documents that are mandatory (reports, manuals, etc.) and the implementation of specific projects.

The Arctic Economic Council (NPP)

The reason for the creation of this new body is the activation of business relations between the member states of the AU, as well as active assistance to both social and economic development of the region. The fact that it is independent of the Arctic Council makes this organization special.

The nuclear power plant is essentially nothing more than a platform for discussing topical issues for both the AS members and the business community. The Arctic Economic Council is entrusted with the mission of bringing a business perspective to the activities of the AU and the development of business in the Arctic.

Participation of Russia

Initially, it should be noted that the Russian Federation plays a key role in the activities of the Arctic Council. This was influenced by such factors as the considerable length of the coastline, the scale of minerals, as well as the volume of their development (it is important to understand that it is in the Arctic that more than 70% of all oil and gas resources of the RF are mined), as well as the area that lies beyond the Arctic Circle . Do not forget about a major icebreaker fleet. Given all the above facts, it can be confidently asserted that the Arctic Council of Russia is more than a significant player.

Possession of such rich resources obliges the Russian Federation not only to take an active part in the implementation of projects developed by the AU participants, but also to offer its own actual initiatives.

The current influence of the Arctic Council

Since its foundation in 1996, AK has managed to grow from another organization focused on the preservation and development of a particular region, into an international platform that allows for multilateral practical cooperation in the Arctic. This form of the council's work makes it possible to cover a wide range of issues with a high degree of effectiveness in relation to the sustainable development of the Arctic potential. We are talking about projects that affect all areas of life in the region - from the environment and the economy to specific social needs.

It is interesting that according to the course taken by the Arctic Council, observers will not be able to participate in making substantive decisions - such a privilege will only be available to countries that are directly related to the Arctic. With regard to the participation of non-regional states, they can only be content with observation.

If to sum up under the long-term experience of the functioning of the AU, it is not difficult to draw an obvious conclusion: the activity of this organization is certainly successful. As a reason for effectiveness, it is possible to determine the common interests of the Arctic states.

This fact gives all grounds for predicting the further fruitful cooperation of the member countries of the council.

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