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 BACKGROUND

At the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council held 2002 in Inari, Finland, Ministers recognized "....what existing and emerging activities in the Arctic warrant a more coordinated and intergrated strategic approach to address the challanges of the Arctic coastal and marine environment..." and agreed "... to develop a strategic plan for the protection of the Arctic marine environment under leadership by PAME."

The guiding principles for the development of the strategic plan are mainly to:

• build on existing Arctic Council principles, policies, strategies and programs, (the strategic plan will deal with the sustainable development topics covered by the Arctic Council.);
• involve indigenous peoples;
• promote cooperation and collboration with the Arctic Council working groups, other relevant international, regional and non-governmental organzations to ensure coordinated and cost-effective approach; and,
• apply a broad ecosystem-based and sustainable development management approach

In order to ensure broad-based input and facilitate the development of a strategic plan, Iceland and Canada have offered to co-host a workshop in Reykjavik, Iceland, October 20-22, 2003. The principle objective of a workshop would be to provide a forum for exchanging information and ideas on drivers of change, trends in oceans management and possible circumpolar responses to arctic oceans issues.