The nations and peoples of the northernmost part of Earth meet May 10–11 in Alaska to tackle common challenges of the region and to celebrate 20 years of the Arctic Council.
The United States has chaired the Arctic Council since 2015. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be on hand to officially pass the two-year chairmanship of the council to Finland.
During its chairmanship, the U.S. focused the efforts of the Arctic Council on:
- Increasing economic development opportunities in the Arctic region.
- Enhancing Arctic Ocean safety, security and stewardship.
- Strengthening the resilience and adaptation capabilities of Arctic communities.
Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden round out the council’s member states.
Officials from these nations and six organizations representing indigenous Arctic communities have met regularly for the past 20 years to share ideas on safety, sustainable development and environmental protection.
Learn more about the council and its efforts during the U.S. chairmanship, which include improving search-and-rescue cooperation and living conditions in the region:
