Arctic Council

The Netherlands is an official observer state of the Arctic Council.

Members of the Arctic Centre represent the Netherlands in three working groups of the Arctic Council:

• Frits Steenhuisen represents the Netherlands in the Arctic Monitoring Assessment Programme (AMAP).
• Maarten Loonen reresents the Netherlands in the Workinggroup for Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF).
• Sean Desjardins and Annette Scheepstra are representing the Netherlands in the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

These members of the Arctic Centre also act as knowledge brokers in order to:

• Inform Dutch polar researchers about activities and developments in the working groups
• Where possible, pool knowledge available in the Netherlands and, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and any other relevant ministries, bring it to the attention of the working groups and/or expert groups set up under those working groups
• Based on discussions within the working groups and with an eye to Dutch policy relevance, identify any gaps in knowledge that are highly relevant to the working groups and the Arctic Council and share them with NWO, the relevant ministries and Dutch polar researchers

The research focus of the Arctic Centre is linked to the work of these three working groups.

Learn more about the Arctic Council.