Arctic Council

News– The tensions have risen in the Arctic region, following the comments made by the US President about annexing Greenland and Canada (including their dispute on the status of the Northwest Passage) added with impacts of climate change and resource competition in the region. Arctic Council.

About Arctic Council

• • It is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous Peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. 
  • Established in: It was formally established in 1996 (Ottawa Declaration).
  • Member countries: 8 (Denmark (), Canada, Norway, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). Their national jurisdictions and international law govern the lands surrounding the Arctic Ocean and its waters.
  • Six Permanent Participants: It is a unique feature of the Arctic Council. Six organizations representing Arctic Indigenous Peoples have status as Permanent Participants. This category was created to provide a means for active participation of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples within the Council.
  • Observers: It is open to non-Arctic states, along with inter-governmental, inter-parliamentary, global, regional and non-governmental organizations. India holds observer status in the Arctic Council since 2013. 
  • Secretariat: in Tromsø, Norway
  • Decision making: All Arctic Council decisions and statements require consensus of the eight Arctic States.

About Northwest Passage (NWP)

• It is a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada.
• Significance: When traveling from London to Tokyo, the Northwest Passage is 7,000 kilometres shorter than the current shipping route through the Panama Canal (about 23,000 kilometres). The route through the passage is just 16,000 kilometres.

About Northeast Passage (NEP)

• The eastern route along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Siberia is accordingly called the Northeast Passage (NEP).
• Significance: This route could reduce the maritime distance between East Asia and Europe by approximately 8,000 km compared to the traditional route through the Suez Canal.