The Arctic Council (CA), which was established by the Ottawa Declaration on September 19, 1996, is an intergovernmental cooperation forum created to promote cooperation among Arctic states, including Arctic indigenous communities and other agencies interested in the protection of the Arctic environment. It consists of the eight states with zones of sovereignty beyond the Arctic Circle: Canada, Denmark (for Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States of America. The indigenous organizations of the Arctic are permanent participants of the CA, as full members. Currently they are: Russian Association of Northern Indigenous Peoples (RAIPON), Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Saami Council, Atabascan Arctic Council, Gwichin International Council and the Aleutian International Association.
The CA was established as a high-level forum to promote a means of cooperation among Arctic states, including Arctic indigenous communities and other agencies interested in protecting the Arctic environment. The CA coordinates sustainable development programs and disseminates information on sustainability, research, education and other Arctic related issues in collaboration with indigenous peoples and residents living in the Arctic.
The activities of the CA are organized through 6 working groups (ACAP, AMAP, CAFF, EPPR, PAM and SDWG), composed of representatives of various governments and non-governmental agencies and experts.
In addition, a number of organizations and observer countries have participated in the CA, including Spain since October 2006. Spain actively participates in the CA and its working groups through various experts from different ministries and other institutions.