Finland chairs the Arctic Council from 2017 to 2019. What has been the experience so far, and what will Finland focus on during its final year?

In an area of international governance where eight sovereign states and permanent participants all have their priorities, yet are committed to peaceful cooperation, the steering of the Arctic Council requires skilled leadership. During its chairmanship, Finland has put emphasis on mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and on sustainable development. And this has been done with a focus on the participation of the arctic indigenous peoples’ organisations.

How has Finland worked on its priorities in the Arctic Council, while navigating among Arctic stakeholders in a way that does not only satisfy all, but also takes Arctic cooperation forward?

To help us answer these questions, we are very happy to present the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Timo Soini, who will speak on the Finnish chairmanship. 

After the Minister’s talk, Martin Breum will pose some questions to the Minister and moderate a Q&A. The event is organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Finland. 

The event is in English, and you can sign up for it via the formular below.