Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon will deliver keynote speeches at the Arctic Circle Assembly, which will take place 7–9 October 2016 at Reykjavík’s Harpa Conference Center.

In addition, ministers from several countries, leaders of scientific institutions, international environmental organizations, international business companies and indigenous associations will participate in the Assembly. More than 400 speakers will address the Assembly during 90 sessions on diverse topics.

Participants in the Assembly come from dozens of countries, including all of the Arctic states and the leading countries of Europe and Asia. Interested parties may register for the Assembly at www.arcticcircle.org, where the Assembly program has been published along with additional information on specific sessions and the names of speakers.

The Arctic Circle has become the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic. This year’s Assembly will include discussion of topics such as the United States Chairmanship of the Arctic Council; the development of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, one of Russia’s largest federal subjects; Russia’s Arctic policies; the priorities of Canadian, Norwegian and Danish governments and agencies; the Arctic visions of Greenland and the Faroe Islands; and the endeavors of international environmental organizations such as WWF and Greenpeace. Special sessions will focus on the contributions of Switzerland and the Netherlands in the development of the Arctic.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]Thorough discussion will be given to scientific research in the circumpolar North. Representatives of Harvard University, other institutions of higher education, as well as European and American research centers will provide an overview of the current status and future developments of climate science and research. In addition, representatives of international financial institutions, banks, shipping companies, and energy companies will explain their visions for the development of the Arctic.

Special sessions at the Assembly will focus on cooperation in maritime issues, including the sustainable use of marine resources, the development of clean energy, security issues, scientific cooperation, tourism, health, investment, airlines, new satellite networks, and the contributions of the BRIC countries to the development of the North.

The Arctic Circle highlights issues, policies, projects and programs, providing platforms for dynamic dialog and constructive cooperation. For further information, contact the Arctic Circle Secretariat at secretariat@arcticcircle.org,

Sigríður Blöndal at sigridur@arcticcircle.org, or Takeshi Kaji at takeshi@arcticcircle.org.

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