New Web Sites Opened for the Arctic Council in Finland
Finland has assumed the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council as of
October 2000. Arctic Council Secretariat functions as well as web site
maintenance are transferred to Finland. As of 1 December 2000, Finnish
Foreign Ministry has opened with the help of Arctic Centre, Information
Service, University of Lapland the new Arctic Council web sites at the
address:
http://www.arctic-council.org.
Sites provide information related not only to the Arctic Council
activities but variety of things concerning the Arctic.
Arctic co-operation started in the field of environmental protection, in
accordance with the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS)
adopted in Rovaniemi, Finland in June 1991. Based on this "Rovaniemi
process," the Arctic Council was established by a Declaration of eight
arctic states at their Ministerial Meeting in Ottawa in September 1996.
With the establishment of the Arctic Council, environmental issues and
sustainable development became key elements in the Council's sphere of
activities. The Council also distributes information, encourages
education, and stimulates interest in arctic questions.
The program for the Finnish Chair of the Arctic Council 2000 - 2002 is
available on the above mentioned internet address in English, Russian,
Finnish, Swedish and Sami. Finland's priorities during its chairmanship
includes, for example, rationalizing the Council's work in order to
intensify the protection of the Arctic environment and initiating
cooperation between the Arctic Council and the European Union.
The Arctic Council has eight member states: the five Nordic countries,
Canada, the Russian Federation and the United States. For bodies
representing indigenous peoples the Council has a separate category of
Permanent Participants. Moreover, the Council has Observers: states,
international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The
Council distributes information, encourages education, and stimulates
interest in arctic questions.
For further information, questions, or comments, please contact:
Arctic Council Secretariat
Ministry for Foreign Affairs/
Unit for the Northern Dimension
PO Box 176
FIN-00161 Helsinki, FINLAND
tel: +358-9/1341-6187