Biological diversity Further details on the cooperation subjects in the Arctic Council .1 Climate
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Formally established in 2013, the Arctic Council Secretariat has offices in the Fram Centre in Tromsø. The Ministry of the Foreign Affairs believes a permanent secretariat can foster better continuity and
administration in the Arctic Council.
Photo: Ann Kristin Balto, Norwegian Polar Institute
of a total of approximately seven full-time employees, while AMAP’s secretariat has four employees. In comparison, SDWG’s secretariat has one position while EPPR uses
staf who total one position. The Ministry of Foreign Afairs noted that a position has been created in 2014 in the Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø that will provide
secretariat functions for ACAP and EPPR.
It was pointed out in interviews that rotating secretariats are an organisational weak- ness that places limitations on the work of the individual working group. Contacts and
working methods must be rebuilt with each change of chairmanship, and institutional memory is insuicient. Working groups with a permanent secretariat have greater
implementation capability because they usually have more resources available and knowledge of how work in the Arctic Council takes place. Permanent secretariats
often receive extra support and attention from their host country.
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These views are consistent with Kankaanpää’s and Young’s 2012 Arctic Council study, which concludes that a permanent secretariat for the Arctic Council and
stronger secretariats in the working groups have great signiicance for improving the eiciency and performance of the Arctic Council.
In 2013, a permanent secretariat was formally established for the Arctic Council in Tromsø, where Norway, as the host country, foots almost 50 per cent of the total cost.
The majority of stakeholders administration and working groups that have been interviewed in this audit are in favour of the establishment of the secretariat.
The Ministry of Foreign Afairs believes that the permanent secretariat can provide continuity and expertise in organisational issues, which will make up for the lack of
continuity due to change of the chairmanship of the Arctic Council every two years. It was noted that ACAP and EPPR have placed administrative functions with the
secretariat in Tromsø.
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Both ACAP and EPPR believe that the permanent secretariat will help strengthen the work of the working groups.
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54 Interview with EPPR on 8 May 2013, answers to list of questions from ACAP on 7 June 2013 and interview with the Norwegian Environment Agency on 13 June 2013.
55 Interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 June 2013. 56 Answers to list of questions from ACAP on 7 June 2013 and interviews with EPPR on 8 May 2013.
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Increased use of task forces
The Ministerial Meeting has been appointing task forces since 2009. According to the Ministry of Foreign Afairs, a task force has a time-limited mandate and is focused on
achieving concrete results within this period in priority areas, where the SAOs have more direct input on the process than in the working groups. A total of eight task
forces have been established; four have completed their work, and four were estab- lished at the Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna in 2013, see Fact box 3
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Fact box 3 Task forces of the Arctic Council
Task forces at March 2014: • Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Prevention
• Task Force on Black Carbon and Methane • Scientiic Cooperation Task Force
• Task Force to Facilitate the Circumpolar Business Forum Task forces that have concluded their work:
• Task Force on Search and Rescue, 2009 • Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil and Pollution Preparedness and Response, 2011
• Task Force for Institutional Issues, 2011 • Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers 2009–2013
In interviews, difering views emerged on the use of task forces. On the one hand, it is argued that task forces are an eicient way of making progress in speciic subjects
prioritised by the Arctic Council.
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Such groups can provide a good link and founda- tion with the Arctic Council if relevant expertise from both the working groups and
the task forces are involved. On the other hand, it was pointed out that the use of task forces can result in overlap-
ping work. As an example, reference is made to the mandates of the Task Force on Black Carbon and Methane and AMAP’s work in this area and the task force on eco-
system-based management and PAME. If the permanent working groups have a long- term mandate and work within deined areas, this may be a more eicient way of
organising work, rather than creating task forces that require staf, new management and inancing.
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The Norwegian Polar Institute adds that although the speciic working groups can be efective, they could also undermine some of the position of the perma-
nent working groups. The work of the task forces does not provide the same degree of continuity as work in the permanent working groups.
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