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Few places on Earth exhibit such a pristine and beautiful environment as the Arctic Circle, but as the demand for her natural resources rises, the possibility of polluting this frozen paradise does as well. The Arctic Circle causes people to think of visuals such as igloos, polar bears, dog-sled races, and the beauty at the North Pole. No matter what aspect of the Arctic one is examining, he or she will inevitably think about words such as clean, untouched, and spotless. However, in today’s world, these words may no longer hold true when it comes to the Arctic ecosystem. As the Arctic becomes more accessible and our understanding of exactly what resources can be gained from it grows, some rules need to be put in place on how to go about extracting these commodities. The Arctic Council was formed in 1996 for this reason under the mantra of being “a high-level intergovernmental forum to promote cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States.” Through its programs and agreements, the newly formed Arctic Council is stepping into its role as a prominent and successful source in protecting the peoples and environments of the Arctic.
The Arctic Council formed to create cooperation and proficiency among the nations of the Arctic. Prior to the formation of the Arctic Council, the eight Arctic nations including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America met in 1989 to discuss what measures should be taken to protect the environment of the Arctic. The Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy was born out of this meeting. This proved to be a forerunner of the Arctic Council that was established in 1996 (“Arctic Council:History”). The goals of the Arctic Council remain similar to those encompassed in the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy; however the aspirations of the Council encompass more than just protecting the environment. The Council also focuses on the peoples and the economies of the Arctic and what can be done to make them stronger. The formation of the Arctic Council has enabled a forum for which the countries can come together and make decisions that affect every aspect of their lives.
One of the Council’s main purposes, to protect the environment of the Arctic, has seen a jump in success throughout the past couple decades. All of the six working groups set up to focus on specific fields somehow relate to safeguarding the environment. The six working groups are the Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP), the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR), the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), and the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) (“Arctic Council: History”). An example of the success in recent years can be seen through the CAFF’s observations on the number of protected land in the Arctic. According to them, there are 1,127 protected areas in the Arctic today which is an increase from 5.6% of the land to 11% (“Arctic Biodiversity”). The ACAP, the Council’s newest working group, was formed in 2006 to act “as a strengthening and supporting mechanism to encourage national actions to reduce emissions and other releases of pollutants”(“About ACAP”). The ACAP was created from a branch of the AMAP (“Arctic Monitoring”). One of the recent studies conducted by the Council was the 2011 Mercury report. This was conducted by AMAP to study the concentration of Mercury in the Arctic (“2011 Mercury Report”). Numerous other studies similar to this have been and are being conducted by the various working groups of the Council in order to understand and better aid the environment.
The Arctic Council also recognizes and seeks to protect the well-being of the several indigenous tribes located in the area. The Council contains the Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat (IPS) whose goal is to “assist with creating opportunities for the Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations to present their causes, and to help provide them with necessary information and materials” (“Organizations”). Some of the ways in which the IPS aids the indigenous peoples is by providing them with information including, documents and reports that the Arctic Council has developed. It also creates a forum in which the indigenous members can present their views and ideas to the Council and participate in the different working groups (“Organizations”). The IPS does not speak on behalf of the indigenous people, it just gives them a way to state their perspectives. This allowance of indigenous people to have a say in the workings of the Council, sets the Arctic Council apart from other treaties or groups. By doing this, the Council has allowed itself to be more open to ideas which betters the outcome and acceptance of its studies and policies.
Some would argue that the Arctic Council is not doing an ample job of protecting the environment and would like to open the Council up to other nations, but by having only the nations and peoples of the Arctic as members, it is actually more successful. If the Council opened itself up to other countries, they would have their own interests and wants put first. For example, the Arctic is home to a large supply of oil and natural gas, and if other nations were allowed a say in decisions concerning this, the Arctic environment might be jeopardized. Other nations would be so focused on benefiting their own people and economy, that they would fail to think about the harm they are inadvertently causing others. By having only the nations of the Arctic making decisions about their homeland, this guarantees that the best decision that could be made will be made. It only makes sense for the people that will be affected by a decision make that decision.
The Arctic Council is successfully working to promote and protect the environment and peoples of the Arctic through its research and policies. Due to the formation of the Arctic Council, more information has been gleaned and a greater understanding about the ecosystems of the Arctic has been molded. As the Arctic Council continues to expand and encompass more aspects and ideas, the more beneficial its policies and discoveries will become. It is obvious that the Arctic Council has been a driving force in protecting the far north, and in the future this will likely continue. The Arctic Council has kept and will continue to keep the image of the pristine, frozen paradise in our minds a reality.
Works Cited:
“About ACAP.” (accessed 25 September 2012).
http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/about-us/working-groups/acap
“Arctic Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.” (accessed 25 of September 2012). http://www.caff.is/arctic-biodiversity-conservation-strategy
“Arctic Council: History.” (accessed 24 September 2012).
http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/about-us/history
“Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AAMP).” (accessed 25 September 2012). http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/amap
“Organizations.” Arctic Council Indigenous People’s Secretariat. (accessed 24 September 2012). http://www.arcticpeoples.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=238&Itemid=7
“2011 Mercury Report.” AMAP, 2011. AMAP Assessment 2011: Mercury in the Arctic. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo, Norway. xiv+193 pp.
(accessed 25 September 2012). http://amap.no/Assessment/ScientificBackground.htm
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