Bringing the Arctic Council Forward

In May 2025, the Kingdom of Denmark will assume the Chairship of the Arctic Council. Together, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark are honored to be carrying out this task, and we thank Norway for all of their excellent work during their Chairship.

It’s no secret that due to geopolitical tensions the work of the Council is challenged. As Chair, we will work hard to maintain the Council vibrant and resilient. First and foremost, for the benefit of the peoples of the Arctic, so that the Arctic remains a region of stability and constructive cooperation.

We have an overall ambition of being an inclusive Chairship and to bring the work of the Arctic Council close to its citizens, particularly Indigenous Peoples. They must be in the driving seat when it comes to the development of the Arctic. Particularly on how sustainable development is interpreted and advanced. Recognizing that Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives are essential to understanding and managing changes of the Arctic, we will work for strong integration of Indigenous Knowledge alongside scientific insights in the work of the Council.

During our Chairship, we will continue to support ongoing activities and projects run by the Working Groups and the Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane of the Council. The Arctic Council Strategic Plan 2021-2030 sets a clear direction for the work of the Council. The Strategic Plan will be our compass guiding the entire Chairship.

We will build on previous efforts to promote cross-cutting cooperation and joint projects between the Arctic Council’s subsidiary bodies, thereby enhancing synergies and holistic approaches.

Within the Kingdom, we have identified five thematic priorities of our Chairship that are important to us, while at the same time being in conformity with the Strategic Plan:

• Indigenous Peoples and Communities: We will continue to focus on the human dimension of the Arctic Council with a particular focus on strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge.

• Sustainable Economic Development and Energy Transition Solutions: We will 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.

• Oceans: Ongoing warming and the reduction of sea ice call upon us to step up monitoring developments and to identify the drivers of change thereby enhancing predictability and effective management of the changing marine environment.

• Arctic Climate Change: An issue that affects all spheres of work being undertaken by the Arctic Council with huge cross-cutting consequences for Arctic biodiversity, ecosystems and societies. The Chairship will highlight climate change trends and address the impacts of climate change on sustainable development in the Arctic.

• Biodiversity: We will emphasize collaboration across the Arctic region to monitor and assess status and trends of Arctic biodiversity and ecosystems enabling us to continue to detect and predict changes and provide best available scientific data and Indigenous Knowledge for governance.

We are very much looking forward to taking on these challenges in close cooperation with the other Arctic States, the Permanent Participants and all other relevant stakeholders. Together we will strive to keep the Council strong.