Climate, social issues are Arctic Council’s key topics to 2023

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. The climate change, human capital development and support for the low-numbered indigenous peoples will be the key topics the Arctic Council will address in 2021 - 2023. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has inked the concept of Russia’s chairing the organization. The economic cooperation section will include topics of the shelf’s development and close cooperation between chambers of industry and trade, the Russian government’s press service said. "The official part includes meetings the Council’s Senior Arctic Officials, talks of its working and expert groups, as well as meetings of the Arctic Economic Council, which Russia will begin chairing in May, 2021," the press service said. "Besides, the Arctic - Territory of Dialogue forums are planned for 2021 and 2023. This forum is known as a key platform to discuss social and economic development of the northern territories and to offer instruments for multilateral partnership." "The Economic Cooperation section includes events, devoted to development of the shelf, to relations between chambers of industry and trade, to shipbuilding and aquaculture," the government’s press service added. The climate change will be on agenda of a global summit on the permafrost’s thawing as well as of conferences on the region’s adaptation to the global climate changes, on improvement of systems to monitor the environment, to cope with the microplastics pollution, to prevent oil spills, to keep the bio diversity and to promote green energy. Other topics are development of the human capital and support for the low-numbered indigenous peoples. The main priorities are - how to attract new human resources to the region, how to save the health of local residents, and to improve the urban environment. "Certain events are related to the Children of the Arctic international project, aimed at supporting new educational forms in specific climate and cultural conditions, and the initiative to keep the cultural and linguistic heritage of the North’s indigenous peoples," the press service said. "Within the chairmanship’s term, will take place the Russian Arctic Games, competitions in traditional deer herding, a few youth and student forums, as well as seminars to promote local languages." The Arctic Council was organized in 1996. The high-level intergovernmental forum for development of international cooperation in high latitudes is a unique platform for cooperation between governments of Arctic states, the Arctic Council’s permanent members, representing indigenous peoples in the vast Arctic region, as well as with other countries and international organizations, which are the Arctic Council’s observers. The Arctic Council’s members are Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the US, Finland and Sweden. Read more