Presentation of the accomplishments of the Arctic Council during the Finnish Chairmanship
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me now look back on what has been achieved during the Finnish Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
Two years ago I asked, whether there would be smooth sailing ahead of us, or whether we would be facing a stormy Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. We have been able to sail together, perhaps we sometimes had windy conditions – but that is what keeps the ship moving.
Throughout our Chairmanship, we have enjoyed the very cooperative spirit between the Arctic States and with the Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council. On matters related to the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, discussions with the Saami Council have been particularly important for Finland as the Chair. I would also like to note the valuable input of the Observers to the practical work of the Arctic Council.
As was shown in the video you just saw, we set four priorities for our Chairmanship: environmental protection, meteorological cooperation, connectivity and education. During the last two years, the Arctic Council has achieved tangible results in all these areas.
The Arctic Council Working Groups have continued to produce important information on the state of the Arctic environment. They have provided us with up-to-date data on the rapid change of the Arctic climate and its effects on nature and people. The Arctic Council Working Groups and Expert Groups have produced recommendations on how to monitor the Arctic ecosystems, and how to reduce pollution and minimize the negative impacts of human activities on the Arctic environment.
During our Chairmanship, we have put emphasis on reducing the emissions of black carbon. During the last two years, the Arctic States, the Permanent Participants as well as many of the Observers have gained a better understanding of the issue of black carbon and the ways to tackle the problem. I highly appreciate this work.
To accelerate the reductions of black carbon emissions, Finland has recently allocated resources to different regional and global black carbon reduction initiatives. In our opinion, the Arctic Council Project Support Instrument, PSI, is an important tool to work on practical projects. I am pleased to announce that Finland has decided to allocate one million euros to the PSI to support the cooperation of the Arctic Council Working Groups on the issue of black carbon and other types of pollution.
Ladies and Gentlemen,...
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