Arctic Council Working Groups
The Arctic Council has six working groups, each with different objectives and responsibilities:
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP): AMAP’s objective: "providing reliable and sufficient information on the status of, and threats to, the Arctic environment, and providing scientific advice on actions to be taken in order to support Arctic governments in their efforts to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants"
Learn more at the Arctic Council's AMAP website.
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): “CAFF's mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and communicate the findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure sustainability of the Arctic's living resources.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's CAFF website.
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR): “The mandate of the EPPR Working Group is to deal with the prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic. Members of the Working Group exchange information on best practices and conducts projects (e.g. development of guidance and risk assessment methodologies, response exercises, training etc.)”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's EPPR website.
Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME): “PAME's mandate is to address policy and non-emergency pollution prevention and control measures related to the protection of the Arctic marine environment from both land and sea-based activities. These include coordinated action programmes and guidelines complementing existing legal arrangements.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's PAME website and at Arctic Portal's PAME website.
Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG): “The objective of the SDWG is to protect and enhance the economies, culture and health of the inhabitants of the Arctic, in an environmentally sustainable manner. Currently the Sustainable Development Working Group is involved in projects in the areas of children and youth, health, telemedicine, resource management, cultural and ecological tourism, and living conditions in the Arctic.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's SDWG website.
The Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP): ACAP became an official working group in 2006. “The goal of ACAP continues to be to reduce emissions of pollutants into the environment in order to reduce the identified pollution risks. ACAP also encourages national actions for Arctic State governments to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants and other releases of pollutants. ACAP acts as a strengthening and supporting mechanism to encourage national actions to reduce emissions and other releases of pollutants.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's ACAP website and at ACAP's homepage.
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP): AMAP’s objective: "providing reliable and sufficient information on the status of, and threats to, the Arctic environment, and providing scientific advice on actions to be taken in order to support Arctic governments in their efforts to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants"
Learn more at the Arctic Council's AMAP website.
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): “CAFF's mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and communicate the findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure sustainability of the Arctic's living resources.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's CAFF website.
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR): “The mandate of the EPPR Working Group is to deal with the prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic. Members of the Working Group exchange information on best practices and conducts projects (e.g. development of guidance and risk assessment methodologies, response exercises, training etc.)”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's EPPR website.
Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME): “PAME's mandate is to address policy and non-emergency pollution prevention and control measures related to the protection of the Arctic marine environment from both land and sea-based activities. These include coordinated action programmes and guidelines complementing existing legal arrangements.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's PAME website and at Arctic Portal's PAME website.
Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG): “The objective of the SDWG is to protect and enhance the economies, culture and health of the inhabitants of the Arctic, in an environmentally sustainable manner. Currently the Sustainable Development Working Group is involved in projects in the areas of children and youth, health, telemedicine, resource management, cultural and ecological tourism, and living conditions in the Arctic.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's SDWG website.
The Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP): ACAP became an official working group in 2006. “The goal of ACAP continues to be to reduce emissions of pollutants into the environment in order to reduce the identified pollution risks. ACAP also encourages national actions for Arctic State governments to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants and other releases of pollutants. ACAP acts as a strengthening and supporting mechanism to encourage national actions to reduce emissions and other releases of pollutants.”
Learn more at the Arctic Council's ACAP website and at ACAP's homepage.