“Our aim is for the Arctic Council to resume its important work,” Fredriksen told the Arctic Frontiers Abroad conference in Ottawa. The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to enable the cooperation of the circumpolar states on sustainable development and environmental protection. It’s made up of the eight Arctic states and six Arctic Indigenous groups. Fredriksen said despite the challenging geopolitical climate, Norway is confident the Arctic Council can continue to provide leadership when it comes to climate change and sustainable development in the North. “The success the Arctic Council has generally enjoyed over recent decades seems to prevent it from looking beyond its own shadow to identify potential solutions,” he said.