Representatives of the eight Arctic States and six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, as well as the Arctic Council’s six Working Groups and more than thirty Observers, met in Levi, Finland on 22-23 March 2018. This was the second Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting held during the Chairmanship of Finland (2017-2019).
There were many issues on the agenda, but the Council focused its discussions on two key themes - meteorological cooperation and connectivity. The meeting was joined by representatives from the World Meteorological Organization and many other institutions with deep knowledge and expertise in these areas. They provided briefings on these subjects for the delegates and presented concrete proposals that could help the Council to pursue pan-Arctic solutions.
The delegates also used this meeting to work further on the first strategic plan for the Arctic Council.
Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen said of the meeting: “During this successful Arctic week with multiple events we were convinced of the importance of meteorological cooperation and connectivity for the Arctic. We also took some important steps in promoting practical cooperation between the Arctic Council and meteorology experts.”
The next Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting will take place in Rovaniemi, Finland in fall 2018.
Read the full press release at Arctic Council homepage.