4. Arctic

Abstract

Regional activities relevant to Arctic environmental protection occurred mainly through the Arctic Council. The seventh ministerial meeting of the Council was held in May, and the Council’s six working groups continued to facilitate various co-operative projects and publications. Documentation from the ministerial meeting and working groups may be found at the Council’s website (<http://www.arctic-council.org>). International co-operative activities of note also occurred through other venues. The Northern Forum held its tenth general assembly in June. Co-operation towards achieving environmental protection and sustainable development in the Barents region of the Arctic was fostered on three main fronts: through the thirteenth session of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC); the tenth meeting of BEAC Environment Ministers; and the fifth Parliamentary Barents Conference. Efforts to develop a mandatory Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters continued within the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Ministers from the eight Arctic states, joined by members of the six permanent participant indigenous organizations, met in Nuuk, Greenland, for the seventh ministerial meeting on 12 May, and the Nuuk Declaration resulting from the meeting included numerous statements and decisions. A central announcement was the conclusion of the Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic. Negotiated by a task force under the auspices of the Arctic Council, the agreement delimits search and rescue (SAR) regions for the eight Arctic states and pledges to strengthen co-operation in various ways, including through joint SAR exercises and regular meetings of the parties.