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"This book helps us to think carefully about how this area of the world should be best handled in the future by offering a concise and accessible introduction to the Arctic Council. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has evolved from being a remote region in international affairs to becoming an increasingly central concern of the global community. The issues of climate change, access to new energy resources, the development of new global trade routes, the protection of the natural environment and the preservation of indigenous cultures and languages have all come to be focused within this formerly neglected region. Now in its sixteenth year of operation the Arctic Council, an innovative international organization, is going through a period of new growth and challenges. This work identifies the major trends and directions of current Arctic diplomacy and the manner in which national, regional and international leaders and organizations can all make useful contributions in dealing with the complex agenda of environmental, economic and political challenges faced by this increasingly significant area of the globe. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of international organizations, international relations and the environment"--Provided by publisher

The article focuses on status, structure and organization of the Arctic Council (AC, Council). It is noted that the AC is an international, regional structure, which is designed to promote cooperation in the Arctic in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development of the circumpolar regions. In the activities of the countries chaired by the Arctic Council, special attention is paid to the continuity of the Arctic agenda. The importance of the Strategic Plan of the Arctic Council for 2021‒2030 adopted in 2021 for the further improvement of AC activities is highlighted. The central part of the study is devoted to Russia's approaches to international cooperation in the AC and an analysis of the content of the Programme of the Russian Federation's 2021 to 2023 Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. The aforementioned includes such priorities as the population of the Arctic and the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North; environmental protection and climate change; social and economic development in the region; strengthening the Arctic Council. The study also deals with the Main Action Plan, which covers all the countries of the AC and areas of its activities. The article draws attention to the risks and threats that may arise during the period of the Russian Chairmanship. It is concluded that the urgent problems of this region can be solved only through balanced and mutually beneficial international cooperation in the economic and social fields, in the field of ecology, development of indigenous peoples, cooperation in scientific research, Arctic tourism, emergencies in the region.

The peculiarities of the institutional framework in the Arctic place the Arctic Council, with its eight circumpolar member states, in a prominent and exposed position. It may most fairly be evaluated by comparing it with 'sub-regional' organizations that cover contiguous neighbour sets elsewhere, notably in Northern Europe. These turn out to share the AC's 'weaknesses', such as lack of military and legislative competence; but they also show similar strengths and, arguably, succeed by not constraining their members too closely. In institutional terms the AC is catching up on solutions already used by the North European groups, but handles indigenous peoples and the EU differently and must find its own answers for extra-regional (eg Chinese) interest.