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Arctic Council News - Focus on Health in the Arctic


Arctic cooperation amidst the coronavirus pandemic


Editorial by Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials

Overnight, the coronavirus pandemic has brought extraordinary changes to our daily lives, as unprecedented and drastic as climate change, but faster. For the Arctic Council, our primary concern at this moment is the health and safety of Arctic inhabitants and our delegates that engage in the challenges of assisting their fellow citizens across the world. In uncertain times such as these, it is – perhaps more than ever – important for international cooperation to continue.

Read Ambassador Gunnarsson's full editorial.
The coronavirus in the Arctic
Image of village in Greenland


"It is imperative to keep the virus out"


Dr. Anders Koch is an infectious disease physician by training, a medical epidemiologist and a university professor in Greenland. He has done research on infectious diseases in Greenland for the past 25 years We spoke to him about coronavirus in the Arctic and the impact on small Arctic communities. We discussed the current situation regarding coronavirus in Greenland, the measures being put in place to flatten the curve of infections to protect Arctic communities against coronavirus and how similar infectious outbreaks have impacted Arctic communities in the past. Read the full interview with Dr. Koch.
 
Image of two lavvus at sunset


"We have no one to lose"


Christina Hendriksen is the President of the Saami Council. We asked her about how national measures taken to contain the coronavirus in the Arctic impact Sámi people across Sápmi. We discussed her major concerns and how similar infectious outbreaks have impacted Sámi communities in the past – while she was juggling work tasks and home schooling. Read the full interview with Christina Hendriksen.
 
Image of three reindeer


"It's critical to protect the health of lands and animals"


"The health, safety, and well-being of people and communities are paramount. This is a great reminder that the health of lands and animals that Indigenous peoples and other northerners depend upon for their health and ways of life is critical to protect. Sharing knowledge and stories, and continuing to work together, will be essential moving forward across the circumpolar north and world. Most smaller and remote Indigenous communities do not have access to adequate health infrastructure and services required during this pandemic. We must be especially aware of this and work immediately to take protective measures, as well as invest for sustained improvements." - Evon Peter, Gwich’in Council International Board Member
 
Health in Northern Iceland's communities
Image of person walking along a lonely beach in Iceland


"The current pandemic is very much a learning experience"


Dr. Sigríður Sía Jónsdóttir is an assistant professor at the School of Health Science at the University of Akureyri, Iceland, where she manages a postgraduate diploma program on primary healthcare in the community. The program offers advanced education to primary healthcare nurses. The skillset they attain is especially relevant in remote regions where they might be one of few healthcare workers within an hour’s drive – or two. We asked Dr. Jónsdóttir about how accessible healthcare is in small Icelandic communities, the program specifically and how it has prepared nurses across the country to deal with the current pandemic. Learn more about the program.
 
Featured Project
Image of an Inuit mother with her daugther


One Arctic - One Health


One Health is a theoretical concept and practical approach for developing and sustaining broad collaboration across disciplines and knowledge systems in order to identify, prevent, and mitigate health risks in humans, animals and the environment. The core principle of One Health is to recognize that ecosystem linkages and interdependencies require a holistic approach to health issues. During the U.S. Chairmanship (2015-17) of the Arctic Council, the U.S. and Canada introduced a One Health project designed to strengthen regional knowledge sharing and coordination regarding Arctic health concerns. The project is led by the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) and now is in its third phase under the leadership of the U.S., Canada and Finland. It continues to foster knowledge sharing, to conduct table top exercises, and to facilitate collaborative investigations of One Health phenomena such as disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Learn more about the project.
 
Meet the Senior Arctic Officials
Portrait of Louise Calais

Louise Calais


Louise Calais is the new Senior Arctic Official for Sweden and an expert on multilateral affairs. She started her position in January 2020 and was looking forward to a spring full of Arctic Council meetings and related events. The corona pandemic put a sudden halt to most of these gatherings. In the meantime, Louise Calais is working closely with the Swedish Arctic team to get up to speed on Arctic issues. While working for the Arctic Council feels like coming home to her, in more recent years she has worked in areas with a lot more sand than snow. Read the interview with Louise Calais.
 
Portrait of Nikolay Korchunov

Nikolay Korchunov


Nikolay Korchunov is a career diplomat who has served as the Senior Arctic Official of the Russian Federation to the Arctic Council since December 2018. Prior to his current role, Korchunov occupied various positions at the headquarters of the MFA of Russia and abroad, including postings at the embassies of the Russian Federation to Sweden and Finland. In addition, he served as Head of Russia’s delegation to the Council’s Task Force on Arctic Marine Cooperation and the Task Force on Improved Connectivity in the Arctic from 2015 until 2018. Read the interview with Nikolay Korchunov.
 
Meet the Council's Observers
Image of Observers attending an Arctic Council meeting


Learn more about the Council's Observers


What is Poland's interest in the Arctic region? Since when does the United Kingdom have Observer status? How does the Standing Committee of the Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region work with the Arctic Council to tackle pressing issues in the Arctic? Which Working Group projects is Spain currently involved in? What pressing issues in the Arctic are of interest to the IMO? And who are the key actors in Italy engaging in Arctic Council work? Learn more about the Council's Observers in our newly launched interview series.
 
Working Group News
Cover of the Arctic Shipping Status Report


PAME's Arctic Shipping Status Reports Launched


The Arctic Council's Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) has launched its first Arctic Shipping Status Report. The report provides information on general Arctic shipping trends between 2013 and 2019 and shows how much Arctic ship traffic has increased. For example, the report shows that during this six-year period, the number of ships entering the Arctic grew by 25%, and the distance sailed by ships in the Arctic increased by 75%. PAME expects to issue reports like this on a regular basis to facilitate awareness of and to share information about Arctic shipping activities. Learn more and get the report.
 
The Arctic Council's Social Corner
Image of the Icelandic Senior Arctic Official playing the guitar


Mini concert with Iceland's Senior Arctic Official


Meetings are postponed but work continues. Why not also the social program, the Icelandic Senior Arctic Official Friðrik Jonsson asked himself. So, he decided: He can still entertain his colleagues in their respective #myArcticHomeOffices across the Arctic. We are therefore happy to present - from a safe distance: Friðrik & félagar with "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You" by Tom Waits
 
Image of the Norwegian Senior Arctic Official in his home office


#MyArcticHomeOffice


With the global pandemic altering our working realities, we asked Arctic Council delegates how they are handling the situation, and what measures Arctic States are taking. View the #MyArcticHomeOffice thread.
 

Icelandic pandemic vocabulary


The Icelandic term for a global pandemic is "heimsfaraldur". Another useful term in times of a heimsfaraldur is "lýðheilsa", Icelandic for public health. Are you currently in quarantine or isolation? Then you might appreciate some "gluggaveður", which directly translates to "window weather" - the kind of weather that is nice to look at through the window but that you actually would not want to be out in.

Click on the words to listen to the pronunciation. Got some time to spare? Why not repreat some previous vocabulary? Visit our "Learn to pronounce Icelandic Arctic Council terms" on SoundCloud.
 
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