Lessons in regional cooperation from the arctic

Abstract

The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum for the Arctic states, which have an outreach beyond the Arctic circle. It is a unique international regime for cooperation among governments and indigenous peoples. The Arctic Council has a very light administration and no obligatory funding. The Host Country of the Council provides a Secretariat and serves as a hub in a network in active operation. Projects are administered by a lead partner, often a Member State or a Indigenous people's organisation. Most of the work is done in Working Groups of Experts. In 1998, The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme delivered a science-based Assessment Report on Arctic Pollution Issues. This report has influenced strongly on the global negotiations on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals. The Stockholm Convention on POPs 2001 is a significant step forward for the protection of the Arctic environment and for people living in the Arctic, who are dependent on harvesting as a central source of livelihood. The Arctic Council has adopted a Regional Plan of Action, which follows the UNEP methodology on the Protection of the Marine Environment from land-based activities. In June 2001, a report on the status and conservation of Flora and Fauna was delivered to the Arctic Council by the experts, who were requested to prepare recommendations on biodiversity conservation on the basis of the status report. The most important project for the time being is the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Close to 200 climate scientific experts from 11 countries are participating in the project, which will deliver its final report in 2004. Science-based decision making is an Arctic Council brand. In addition, the Council takes into account traditional knowledge provided by indigenous peoples. The overall goal is to enhance sustainable development in the Arctic. The Council contributes to a better knowledge base for decision-making. Political recommendations are agreed upon unanimously. Much of the implementation is done by the member states themselves and appropriate international organisations. The ambition is to integrate sustainable development principles into all activities and projects under the auspices of the Arctic Council.