Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska

ICC ALASKA EXISTS AS THE UNIFIED VOICE AND COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF ALASKAN INUIT, TO PROMOTE, PROTECT AND ADVANCE INUIT CULTURE AND SOCIETY.

INUIT ENGAGEMENT IN THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN FISHERIES AGREEMENT (CAOFA) IMPLEMENTATION: ON JUNE 25, 2021, THE AGREEMENT TO PREVENT UNREGULATED HIGH SEAS FISHERIES IN THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN (CAOFA) ENTERED INTO FORCE. THE AGREEMENT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, A MULTILATERAL AND LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT, THAT CALLS FOR TAKING A PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH TO PROTECT AND PREVENT UNREGULATED FISHING IN THE HIGH SEAS PORTION OF THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN. THE AGREEMENT RECOGNIZES THE INTERESTS OF ARCTIC INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF INVOLVING THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (IK), ALONGSIDE SCIENCE IS ALSO RECOGNIZED AND WILL BE INCLUDED. THE UNITED STATES HAS INCLUDED ALASKAN INUIT AS A PART OF THE DELEGATION. FACILITATION AND COORDINATION OF ALASKAN INUIT FROM THE NORTH SLOPE, NORTHWEST ARCTIC, BERING STRAIT, AND YUKON KUSKOKWIM DELTA REGIONS IN ALASKA, HAS BEEN DONE BY INUIT CIRCUMPOLAR COUNCIL (ICC) ALASKA.

ALL OTHER PROGRAMS.

IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT OF THE ARCTIC COUNCIL COASTAL BIODIVERSITY MONITORING PLAN IN THE U.S.: THE COASTAL BIODIVERSITY MONITORING PLAN (CBMP) IS A PROJECT UNDER THE ARCTIC COUNCIL'S CONSERVATION OF ARCTIC FLORA AND FAUNA'S (CAFF) WORKING GROUP. THE CBMP AIMS TO ADDRESS THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF RAPIDLY CHANGING ALASKA ARCTIC COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS ON FOOD SECURITY, ARCTIC COASTAL COMMUNITIES, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. ICC ALASKA PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING AND COORDINATING THE CBMP IN THE US ARCTIC REGION, FOCUSING ON THE CO-PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (IK) AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE.

ALASKAN INUIT PARTICIPATION IN THE ILULISSAT ICC DELEGATES MEETING AND ARCTIC PEOPLES CONFERENCE: THE 2022 HYBRID ICC GENERAL ASSEMBLY DIRECTED ICC TO HOLD AN IN-PERSON DELEGATES MEETING IN ILULISSAT IN JULY 2023. THE GOAL OF THIS MEETING IS TO REFLECT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK OF ICC, TAKE NOTE OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, FURTHER DEVELOP ICC WORK PLANS, INCLUDING AN ILULISSAT DECLARATION, AS WELL AS CELEBRATE OUR UNITY AND CULTURE. ICC ALASKA FACILIATED AND COORDINATED ALASKAN INUIT PARTICIAIPATION AND TRAVEL IN THE MEETING. FOLLOWING THE DELEGATES MEETING, ALASKAN INUIT ATTENDED THE 50TH COMMEMORATION OF THE ARCTIC PEOPLES CONFERENCE AT THIS CONFERENCE, PARTICIPANTS WILL LOOK BACK AND CELEBRATED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST ARCTIC PEOPLES CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN 1973, FURTHER DEVELOP OUR COOPERATION, AND DISCUSS OUR COMMON ARCTIC FUTURE. THE ARCTIC PEOPLES CONFERENCE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE ARCTIC AS WELL AS FOSTER AND FURTHER DEVELOP PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE AND COOPERATION.