The Arctic Council will gather in Levi on 22-23 March 2018 for Senior Arctic Officials’ meeting, to address the issues of meteorological cooperation and connectivity, both critical in the Arctic.
The Levi meeting is the second SAO Plenary meeting during the Finnish Chairmanship. It brings together representatives from the eight Arctic States, the six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, six Working Groups, and over 30 Observer states and organizations.
Experts from the Council’s Working Groups, as well as leaders from the World Meteorological Organization and from the national meteorological institutes of Finland, Iceland, and Russia will all contribute to the discussion on meteorological cooperation.
At the same time, the World Meteorological Organization will be hosting an Arctic Meteorological Summit in Levi, which brings together its major stakeholders to discuss cooperation in the Arctic.
During the conversation on connectivity, experts in health, telecommunications, satellite technology, and other fields will bring their perspectives before the Council members.
The Council’s six Working Groups will also provide updates on their work as they make progress towards the next Arctic Council Ministerial meeting, which will take place in Rovaniemi, Finland in early May 2019.
'“Our upcoming meeting in Levi is another opportunity to make progress in these important areas of cooperation – meteorology and connectivity. It will be an important opportunity to share knowledge, research, and experience with partners in other spheres. It goes without saying that I also look forward to welcoming the Council’s members and Observers from around the world to Arctic Finland at a beautiful time of year”, said Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, the Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials speaking about the agenda for the meeting in Levi.
Established in 1996, the Arctic Council is at the forefront of Arctic cooperation. In its first 21 years, it has become the most important body for promoting a positive agenda and coordinating joint action on all vital issues in the region. The Council is presently at work on a long-term strategic plan, the first of its kind for the Council as a whole.
The Council’s priority themes during the Chairmanship of Finland are environmental protection, connectivity, meteorological cooperation, and education.
Photo (c) Arctic Council Secretariat/Linnea Nordström