Arctic Council

The Arctic Council, also known as the Arctic Parliament, the Arctic Council and the Arctic Association, is a high-level international forum of eight Arctic States, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Russia and the United States of America, established in September 1996 in Ottawa, Canada. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum that focuses on issues facing governments and natives bordering the Arctic and aims to protect the Arctic environment and promote sustainable development of the region's economy, society and well-being.On May 15, 2013, China, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore also formally became observer States of the forum.