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More interest in Artic Council
last update: Apr 14, 2008 12:22 PM
Various countries, even those outside the circumpolar North have been showing an interest in northern issues. Now China has become the first non-Arctic observer nation from outside Europe.
Countries from outside the Artic region can only obtain an observer status with the intergovernmental Artic Council.
There will be a meeting in Norway later this month, where the role of the "observer" countries will be discussed as most would like to play a more active role.
Karsten Klepsvik, the council's chairman of senior Arctic officials said that China is sending 6 participants.
The permanent members of the Council are: Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway, Denmark/Greenland, Finland and Sweden.
Permanent members are also six Arctic indigenous groups, including the Inuit Circumpolar Conference and Gwich'in Council International.
The countries with observer status are China, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Poland and Spain.
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