Ban Ki-moon to attend Arctic Circle in Iceland

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will deliver keynote speeches at the 2016 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland, next month.

They will be joined by ministers from various countries and leaders of scientific agencies, international environmental organisations and indigenous communities, according to the organisers of the Assembly.

The Assembly will take place in Reykjavik on 7-9 October, and include over ninety seminars and around 400 speakers.

Participants in the Assembly come from dozens of countries, including all of the Arctic states and several countries of Europe and Asia.

The Arctic Circle has become the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic. This year’s Assembly will include discussion of topics such as the United States Chairmanship of the Arctic Council; the development of Yamal Nenets Autonomous District, one of Russia’s largest federal subjects; Russia’s Arctic policies; the priorities of Canadian, Norwegian and Danish governments and agencies; the Arctic visions of Greenland and the Faroe Islands; and the endeavors of international environmental organizations such as WWF and Greenpeace. Special sessions will focus on the contributions of Switzerland and the Netherlands in the development of the Arctic.