In their letter, the signatories said, “The Arctic region has always been a place where cooperation between and amongst groups was not only desirable, but in many cases necessary for survival. This philosophy has continued into the 21st century, where climate change, globalization, mass-scale utilization of resources, and narrow interpretations of geopolitics impose new challenges to the region.
“The Arctic Council is a model for promoting fraternity between nations, and a deserving recipient of Alfred Nobel’s Peace Prize.”
The Arctic Council is a consensus based forum made up of the world’s eight circumpolar nations and six Arctic Indigenous groups. UArctic was created based on an initiative by the Arctic Council (Iqaluit Declaration, 1998).