The 14th Meeting of the Arctic Council

April 24, 2025

Your resource for the 14th meeting, Norwegian Chairship accomplishments, the Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship program and more

On 12 May 2025, the 14^th meeting of the Arctic Council was held in a closed, virtual format. Delegations from the eight Arctic States, six Permanent Participant organizations, Working Groups and Observers attended the meeting. The 14th meeting marked the conclusion of the Norwegian Chairship of the Arctic Council (2023-2025) and the beginning of the Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship (2025-2027).

During the meeting, the Arctic States and Permanent Participants issued the joint Romssa-Tromsø Statement.

Read the official press release. The press conference recording can be viewed below.

Below you can find related resources including:

Norwegian Chairship accomplishments
The Kingdom of Denmark’s upcoming Chairship
About the Arctic Council

Media contact:
Jessica Cook
Public Relations Officer
media@arctic-council.org

Resources:
About the Arctic Council | Status of the Arctic Council’s meetings and operations | Arctic Council News | Photos | Videos

Norwegian Chairship of the Arctic Council (2023-2025)

The overall objective for Norway’s Chairship of the Arctic Council was to promote stability and constructive cooperation in the Arctic. Norway outlined four priorities in their Chairship program:

The Oceans
Climate and Environment
Sustainable Economic Development
People in the North

Arctic youth and Arctic Indigenous Peoples were cross-cutting priorities of the Norwegian Chairship.

Norway’s inclusive approach

When Norway assumed the Chairship of the Arctic Council in May 2023, official Arctic Council meetings had been paused. The Norwegian Chairship prioritized resuming the critical work of the Council while taking an inclusive approach, considering the needs of the entire Arctic Council. In August 2023, the first milestone was reached when the eight Arctic States, in consultation with the six Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, reached consensus to use written procedures as a decision-making mechanism that would allow the Council’s Working Groups to resume their work. In February 2024, a second milestone was reached when consensus was achieved to gradually resume official Working Group meetings in a virtual format, effectively resuming working-level and scientific cooperation across all eight Arctic States, six Permanent Participant organizations and Observers.

In the absence of official Arctic Council meetings on the diplomatic level, the Norwegian Chairship regularly engaged both bilaterally and multilaterally with all Arctic States, Permanent Participants, Working Groups and Observers. These consultations provided a regular feedback mechanism and ensured that all Arctic States’ and Permanent Participants’ perspectives were taken into account on Arctic Council decisions.

Priority 1: The Oceans

To address the cumulative challenges of rapid climate change, sea ice loss and increasing activity in Arctic waters, Norway has prioritized the promotion of healthy and productive oceans while reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and resilient Arctic Ocean industries. These efforts encompassed a range of initiatives supporting longstanding Arctic Council work, including enhanced international ocean research collaboration, continued joint actions against marine litter, recognition of coastal areas’ vital role for Arctic communities, strengthened cooperation on emergency preparedness and ensuring safe Arctic shipping.

Spotlight: Arctic shipping

In collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group co-organized a Polar Maritime Seminar on 23 – 24 January 2025. This international seminar provided a key platform for stakeholders to exchange experiences, share best practices, and promote safe and sustainable shipping in polar regions.

During the Norwegian Chairship, key work on Arctic shipping continued, including the development of Arctic Shipping Status Reports, exploring how new shipping fuels impact the Arctic, and more.

Spotlight: The Ecosystem Approach to Management in the Arctic

The Chairship and the Institute of Marine Research of Norway co-hosted the Third International Conference on the Ecosystem Based Approach to Management in the Arctic Large Marine Ecosystems. The conference, attended by over 240 science, industry, policy and management experts from the Arctic Council States and from Europe and Asia, focused on advancing ecosystem-based management (EBM) in the Arctic, emphasizing the integration of scientific data with Indigenous Knowledge.

The conference provided dialogue on key themes, such as the UN Global Biodiversity Framework and the High Seas Treaty for Arctic ecosystems, as well as opportunities to foster cross-disciplinary strategies to balance conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic Ocean. The outcomes of the conference aim to guide future Arctic Council actions, including the development and use of open, reproducible geospatial tools to inform further action on marine protected areas and conservation measures.

Spotlight: Emergency preparedness and response

The Norwegian Chairship program placed a particular emphasis on further developing Arctic emergency prevention, preparedness and response. To advance this goal, the Norwegian Chairship partnered with Nord University to host the first-ever Arctic Emergency Management Conference (AEMC) in Bodø, Norway, from 18-20 March 2025.

The AEMC provided a platform for information exchange and highlighted the importance and interconnectedness of different aspects of emergency management in the Arctic. The Norwegian Chairship emphasized that as Arctic inhabitants, especially Indigenous Peoples, face the effects and risks posed by the changing environment, better understanding, capacity building and cooperation on all levels must be strengthened. The AEMC contributed by increasing knowledge and awareness, as well as facilitating connections and networks around these pressing issues.

© Jessica Cook / Arctic Council Secretariat

Priority 2: Climate and Environment

Climate change is particularly rapid in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. Norway built on previous efforts of the Arctic Council to deepen understanding of the impacts of rapid climate change in the Arctic, recognizing its far-reaching global consequences and its status as the greatest threat to Arctic biodiversity.

The resumption of the activities of the Arctic Council Working Groups and Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane (EGBCM) marked an essential step forward, ensuring accurate and up-to-date scientific data on the effects of climate change in the Arctic. EGBCM facilitated discussions with all Arctic States and several Observer organizations on national and collective actions to reduce emissions, while it also resumed the collection of national inventories of these pollutants and projections of future emissions, a vital step in monitoring emissions in the Arctic.

Spotlight: The Wildland Fires Initiative

In October 2023, the Norwegian Chairship, in collaboration with Gwich’in Council International (GCI), launched the Norwegian Chairship Wildland Fires Initiative (WFI) to address the escalating prevalence and severity of wildland fires in the circumpolar Arctic. Through enhanced circumpolar collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnerships, the WFI aimed to improve understanding and responses to wildland fires in the Arctic.

Building on the Arctic Council's longstanding work on wildland fires, the initiative also prioritized the transboundary nature of fires and their profound effects on ecosystems and Arctic communities. Observers including the European Union, International Arctic Science Committee, United Nations Environmental Programme, Poland, Spain, Italy and Switzerland brought additional national and regional expertise to the initiative.

As part of the WFI, a series of 10 events and panels were held at international conferences. An outreach campaign was conducted to build public awareness of Arctic wildland fires, including interviews, personal anecdotes and feature articles on the Arctic Council website, as well as a StoryMap in collaboration with Grid Arendal. A final report on the WFI’s achievements and suggestions for the Arctic Council on a way forward was also developed.

Spotlight: The Cryosphere

The cryosphere is the frozen part of the world – its glaciers and ice sheets, snow, permafrost, sea ice, lake ice and river ice. Accelerated Arctic warming is driving profound changes in the cryosphere, impacting ecosystems on land, along coasts and in the ocean across the Arctic and beyond. Sea levels are now rising at twice the rate of 30 years ago, highlighting the global ripple effects of these changes.

Recognizing the urgency of cryosphere changes, the Norwegian Chairship prioritized elevating this issue on the global agenda to drive awareness and action. In partnership with the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme as well as several non-Arctic states and international organizations, the Norwegian Chairship hosted a high-level event at COP29 in November 2024. The event featured opening remarks from Norway’s Prime Minster, Jonas Gahr Støre, and Chile’s Minister of Environment and Climate, Maisa Rojas.

Priority 3: Sustainable Economic Development

In prioritizing sustainable economic development, Norway strived to highlight the importance of economically healthy Arctic communities, the growing importance of the green transition, renewable energy, blue economy, sustainable shipping and overall sustainable development in the Arctic.

As Chair of the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), the Chairship highlighted pressing issues related to the environment and economies that Indigenous Peoples and Arctic communities face. The Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Morten Høglund, and Inga Nyhamar, Chair of SDWG, traveled to Canada in September 2024 where they met with representatives from Nunavut, including the Premier, and observed firsthand both the similarities and contrasts between the socio-economic challenges faced by communities in Arctic Canada and the Scandinavian Arctic.

Norway also led the development of a new report on the economy of the Arctic (ECONOR). The report, which will be released in May 2025, examines key economic trends, including the impacts of climate change, the rise of Indigenous-led businesses and the expanding blue economy in regional economies.

Priority 4: People in the North

Climate change is altering the framework for livelihoods, settlement patterns and living conditions for people in the Arctic. Through its Chairship of the Arctic Council, Norway has sought to develop resilient, diverse and inclusive Arctic communities that are attractive places to live in, for everyone.

During its Chairship, Norway strengthened health cooperation at the Working Group level and supported efforts to improve medical preparedness in the Arctic. Additionally, Norway encouraged the advancement of cultural collaboration, supporting community well-being and preserving Arctic heritage.

The Chairship collaborated with the World Reindeer Herders (WRH) and International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR) by partnering with the NOMAD Indigenous FoodLab, a mobile food lab which originated from the Arctic Council EALLU project. The NOMAD Indigenous FoodLab’s Lávvu offered a unique space for the Chairship’s special plenary session during the May 2024 Arctic Congress entitled “Witness Change, Find Solutions: A Dialogue on Indigenous Youth Engagement in the Arctic Council.” The FoodLab was also a featured venue during the Chairship Arctic Youth Conference in January 2024.

Spotlight: Arctic Youth

The Norwegian Chairship hosted the first Arctic Youth Conference (AYC) from 24-26 January 2025 in Tromsø, Norway. The conference aimed to empower young leaders, foster Arctic literacy and encourage intergenerational dialogue, ensuring that youth voices play a pivotal role in shaping Arctic policy and future sustainability efforts. To ensure the conference themes reflected the pressing issues facing Arctic youth, the Norwegian Chairship created the Chairship Youth Committee (CYC), comprising representatives from Permanent Participants, regional councils and Arctic youth organizations. The CYC and the Permanent Participant Youth Network worked in tandem with the Chairship to organize and implement the conference.

The Norwegian Chairship also supported two youth expeditions during its Chairship: The Arctic Ocean Research Cruise II in August 2023 with the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Kristin Harila x AMAP Arctic Youth Expedition in January 2025. These expeditions provided youth with the chance to connect, learn and grow in meaningful ways, all while deepening their understanding of the Arctic’s rapidly changing environment. By engaging with scientific research and local communities, young people have had the chance to gain firsthand experience and contribute to ongoing discussions about the future of the Arctic.

Read Norway’s full Chairship program here.

The Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship of the Arctic Council (2025-2027)

The Kingdom of Denmark presented its Chairship program during a livestreamed event in Nuuk, Greenland on 11 April. During its upcoming Chairship, the Kingdom of Denmark will focus on five priority areas:

Indigenous Peoples and Communities in the Arctic
Sustainable Economic Development and Energy Transition Solutions
Oceans
Arctic Climate Change
Biodiversity

Indigenous Peoples and Communities of the Arctic

The Kingdom of Denmark will continue the Arctic Council’s long focus on the human dimension of the Arctic, with a particular focus on strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge.

Key focus areas under this priority include medical preparedness and supply chains; youth engagement in the work of the Arctic Council; health and mental health of Indigenous Peoples; and gender equality in the Arctic.

Sustainable Economic Development and Energy Transition Solutions

People living in the Arctic have a natural and particular interest in activities occurring in the Arctic and how sustainable economic development is advanced in a balanced manner with respect for different Arctic ways of life. The Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship will therefore dedicate efforts and attention towards sustainable economic development, with a goal of ensuring that initiatives in this field are being led by the Peoples of the Arctic for the benefit of all Arctic inhabitants with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples.

The Chairship will emphasize connectivity with a focus on communication, transport business and trade; improving knowledge on the blue bioeconomy; and energy transition solutions.

Oceans

The Arctic seas are of immense importance for the people in the Arctic, and in particular Indigenous Peoples and their communities who depend on the health of the sea for their livelihoods and way of life.

During its Chairship, the Kingdom will organize an international ocean conference dedicated to Sub Arctic and High Arctic connectivity, and during its Chairship place focus on area-based conservation measures and spatial planning tools; threats to Arctic Marine Ecosystems and Indigenous Peoples; strengthening cooperation on emergency preparedness and shipping in the Arctic; underwater noise in the Arctic; and marine litter and microplastics.

Climate Change in the Arctic

Climate change in the Arctic is happening at an unprecedented rate with the average temperature increasing three times as much as the global average. Climate change significantly impacts Indigenous Peoples and their communities in the Arctic, affecting their environment, livelihoods, cultural practices and overall wellbeing.

The Chairship will highlight climate change trends and address the impacts of climate change on sustainable development in the Arctic. In addition, the Kingdom will support increased collaboration among and between Arctic Council and Observer States to ensure that Arctic circumstances, including those of Arctic Indigenous Peoples, are brought to bear in global negotiations to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The Chairship will also continue important work on black carbon and methane.

Biodiversity

During its Chairship, the Kingdom will continue the Arctic Council's long work on biodiversity in line with the Arctic Council Strategic Plan.

Under the biodiversity priority, the Kingdom of Denmark will focus on actions for Arctic biodiversity; the triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss); strengthening the Arctic Council’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP); enhancing knowledge to address Arctic invasive alien species; and data policy principles and improved access to and use of data.

Read the Kingdom of Denmark’s full Chairship program here.

About the Arctic Council

The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous Peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. The Arctic Council’s mandate, as articulated in its founding document the Ottawa Declaration, excludes matters of military security and geopolitics. It was formally established in 1996.

The Arctic Council comprises eight Arctic States with territories above the Arctic Circle; six Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations with Permanent Participant Status; six Working Groups that cover a broad field of subjects; and 38 Observers that contribute to the Working Groups and Observe Arctic Council meetings.

The Arctic Council operates on the principle of consensus. All decisions and statements require consensus of the eight Arctic States in full consultation with the Permanent Participants. The Arctic Council does not comment on or address matters of national strategies, positioning or actions.

The Arctic Council regularly produces comprehensive, cutting-edge environmental, ecological and social assessments through its Working Groups. The Council has also provided a forum for the negotiation of three important legally binding agreements among the eight Arctic States: