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Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat


The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat (IPS) is a secretariat for the six international indigenous organizations affiliated with the eight-nation Arctic Council. The IPS does not represent indigenous peoples or their organizations, but assists those organizations in presenting their causes, and helps to disseminate information among them. IPS was established in 1994 under the auspices of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS). It was around the same time that the category of Permanent Participants was being developed and applied to the three indigenous peoples’ organizations then observers in the AEPS. When the Arctic Council was established in 1996, both the Permanent Participants and IPS was reinserted into the new intergovernmental framework. Since commencing business in 1994, the role of the secretariat has been to facilitate contributions from the Permanent Participants to the cooperation of the eight Arctic states and to assist the Permanent Participants in performing, mainly communicational task.

The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat is a support Secretariat for the International Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations that have Permanent Participant status in the Arctic Council. IPS assists with creating opportunities for the Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations to present their causes, and helps provide them with necessary information and materials. IPS work includes:

• Ensuring that Permanent Participants are sent documents and reports connected to the work of the Arctic Council and its working groups.

• Helping Permanent Participants to present their views to the Arctic Council and its Working Groups.

• Collecting and communicating information about the Arctic Council and its results to the Indigenous Peoples in the various parts of the Arctic.

• Providing co-ordination for the Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations to meet with each other, and to participate in the Arctic Council Working Groups.

A Governing Board, chosen from among the six indigenous peoples' groups that are permanent participants, directs the work of IPS and approves its annual work agenda. Permanent participants choose the Chair of the Governing Board, a position that rotates among the six indigenous groups. The current Chair, Ethel Blake, representing Gwich'in Council International, assumed the two-year post in 2017; the previous incumbent was Tommy Pedersen of the Saami Council, who had held the post since 2009. The working language for meetings of the IPS is English; official communications, however, are published in both English and Russian. The Executive Secretary, currently Elle Merete Omma, is responsible for daily operations and for directing IPS staff. Workplace rules and regulations, as well as accounting and auditing procedures, follow Danish law.


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