WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2021) � The top diplomats of the Arctic Council member countries have stressed their commitment to security and constructive collaboration in the region, a joint declaration, released by the State Department, said on Thursday.
"Today, at the 12th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, foreign ministers from all eight Arctic States signed onto the 2021 joint declaration reaffirming the Council's commitment to maintain peace, stability, and constructive cooperation in the Arctic region, emphasizing Arctic States' unique position to promote responsible governance in the region, and asserting the importance of immediately addressing the climate crisis in the Arctic," the document said.
The ministers have approved the very first strategic plan, adopted in a unanimous vote by the eight Arctic States and six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, the document noted.
"It will guide the Council's work for the next decade," the declaration stated. "Members also recognized the Arctic Council's 25th anniversary and marked the passing of the two-year chair from Iceland to the Russian Federation (2021 to 2023)."
Major reports adopted at the Ministerial meeting include the Arctic Climate Change Update 2021, the State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report, a Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in the Arctic, Gender Equality in the Arctic report, and the Summary of Progress and Recommendations from the Council's Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane, the document said.
Earlier on Thursday, Russia assumed the two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The council was established in 1996 as a high-level intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the region with a focus on environmental protection. The council includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
