MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2020) The Arctic Council is set to hold on a three-day online plenary meeting of the senior Arctic officials, starting Tuesday, which will be chaired by Iceland and focus on climate and oceans issues.
The meeting will feature representatives from eight Arctic states, including Russia, as well as observers, six indigenous permanent participant organizations and six working groups.
According to the council's statement, the meeting's agenda will include four initiatives on enhanced marine stewardship, development of a regional action plan against marine litter, youth engagement and advancement of the work on COVID-19 in the region.
Meanwhile, the council's working groups and expert group will inform the attendees about progress on projects related to climate impacts on Arctic freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, together with the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The expert group on black carbon and methane will present an update on its search for ways to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. Green energy projects will be presented for discussion as well.
The participants will also be acquainted with Moscow's preliminary plan for its chairmanship in 2021-2023 and discuss the 25th anniversary, which will be celebrated next year.
The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum that aims to promote partnership and coordination between the regional states, indigenous peoples and other shared issues, specifically those related to sustainable development and the environment. The eight Arctic states include Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
The forum is currently being chaired by Iceland, which will pass it to Russia in 2021. Moscow plans to dedicate its tenure to economic, social and environmental development in the region.
