Initiating, encouraging and facilitating cooperation on Arctic issues

Highlighted Activities
Projects, events, and initiatives, organized and co-organized, hosted and co-hosted, and involving the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network.

Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region
The Government of Iceland, with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, will host a Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region at Harpa, Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Center, on 22-23 November 2023. Partners are the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic, along with ICES, OSPAR, GRID Arendal, UArctic, UNESCO, the Wilson Center, UNEP and IASC. Early bird registration ends September 1st 2023. Register on arcticplastics.is.

Gender Equality in the Arctic - GEA
Gender Equality in the Arctic (GEA) is an international collaborative project focusing on gender equality in the Arctic. It is an Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group project that has been ongoing since 2013 and is led by the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network. The project was a chairmanship project during the Icelandic Chairmanship 2019-2021 completing phase III through the publishing of the Pan-Arctic Report on Gender Equality in the Arctic. The Project is now in phase IV.

Webinar series - the collaboration between Iceland and Canada continues
The Canadian Embassy in Iceland and the Icelandic Embassy in Canada, along with the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation and Polar Knowledge, Canada have cooperated on a webinar series on Arctic, Canada, Iceland related themes for a couple of years now, with great success. Themes have included Gender Equality, Indigenous Knowledge & Western Science, Cultural Diversity in the Workplace and Research Cooperation in the Arctic. More information on the Embassy of Iceland to Canada Webpage.

GEAIV Workshop on Gendered Data in the Arctic
A hybrid workshop on gendered data in the Arctic region took place in Akureyri in march 2023. Attending the workshop were domestic and international experts, Indigenous knowledge holders, LGBTQ+ and youth representatives, in addition to 25 online participants. The workshop was a part of the Arctic Council SDWG project Gender Equality in the Arctic, phase IV, which is led by the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network.

Webinar Series on Renewable Energy in the Arctic
The Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network (IACN) and Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) in Canada have been collaborating since 2020, focusing on bringing together expertise from around the Arctic to discuss renewable energy in the Arctic. The webinar series on various dimensions of Arctic energy continue throughout 2023 on the Share your North Platform.

Arctic Congress Bodö 2024
The Arctic Congress Bodø 2024 will be a unique event that combines the International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS) XI, UArctic Congress 2024, and High North Dialogue 2024. The congress takes place from 29 May to 3 June 2024 in Bodø, Norway, hosted by Nordland Research Institute and NORD University. Bringing three conferences together in Bodø – one of the 2024 European Cultural Capitals - will be an extraordinary showcase of Arctic cooperation.
Members & Partners
Our members are Icelandic legal entities working on issues relating to the Arctic. Our domestic and international partners and collaborators can include institutions, governments, municipalities and associations. Are you looking for a partner for projects, in person events, webinars or something else?
Experts
A network of Arctic experts in Iceland providing contact information, field of expertise and interests. Do you seek knowledge or someone to partner with on a project? Are you a student looking fo rmaterial, expertise or an advisor for your thesis? Are you looking for a speaker on a specific topic?
The Arctic Region
The Arctic does not have a single definition which comprehensively defines the region but rather is defined through different dimensions. This section provides basic information concerning key Arctic actors, including the Arctic eight states, the Arctic Council and the six Indigenous Peoples' Associations, often referred to as the Arctic Council Permanent Participants.
Further it provides an brief overview of important international, regional and subnational organizations with a special role in Governance in the Arctic. Finally, a list of Arctic official policies and security strategies, including those of the Arctic states and permanent participants, has been compiled and is regularly updated.

Arctic Definitions
An overview of the more commonly used definitions of the Arctic region.

Key Arctic Actors
The eight Arctic States are central to Arctic Governance in close collaboration with Indigenous Peoples in the region.

Arctic Governance
The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum for cooperation and interaction among the Arctic States, but it is not the only one. What are the key elements of Arctic Governance?

Arctic Policies
A list of official policies and security strategies, including those of Arctic States, non-Arctic States, Indigenous Peoples´ Associations and International Organizations.