Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme - AMAP

03/02/2026

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14/01/2026

Webinar: AMAP Observer Activities on Plastic Pollution

AMAP has invited Arctic Council Observers to share information about their activities related to the AMAP Work Plan. At this webinar, Observers will present activities related to plastic pollution.
The webinar will be held 11th February 2026 15-16 UTC / 16-17 CET / 10-11am EST.

The webinar program and Zoom connection information are found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kZt9TbBZ6A7-1icmuqWBlaLgtA2bwvBs/edit =h.1y8tfpv726fw

18/12/2025

10/11/2025

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10/11/2025

It is with great sadness we have learned that Dr. Lars-Erik Liljelund has passed away at the age of 78 years old.

From 1993 to 1998, he was Vice-Chair and thereafter the second Chair of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), first under the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) and then under the Arctic Council.

Lars-Erik will be remembered for his outstanding leadership capabilities, professionality, and last but not least his kind and warm personality. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go to his close family and friends, and in particular to his wife Eva Thörnelöf and children.

Below photo: Dr. Lars-Erik Liljelund, AMAP Chair, attending
Assessment Steering Group Meeting, Illulissat, Greenland, October 1996

14/10/2025

Meet us at the 2025 Arctic Circle assembly!

This week in Reykjavík, our team will be hosting and participating in several sessions highlighting the latest Arctic science and business- and policy-relevant findings.

🧊 PERMAFROST SCIENCE: WHAT ARCTIC TRENDS MEAN FOR COP30 NEGOTIATIONS
October 16, 10:50, Kaldalón
Organized by: Permafrost Pathways, Woodwell Climate Research Center, USA; Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic Initiative, USA; AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Arctic Council

⛷️ KRISTIN HARILA x AMAP ARCTIC YOUTH EXPEDITION
October 16, 20:15, Esja Harpa fifth level
Organized by: AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme and Arctic Council

📉 SAON ROADS - OPEN PARTNERSHIP MEETING
October 17, 13:30, Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
The Advisory Panel of the SAON Arctic Roadmap for Observing and Data Systems (ROADS) are inviting all interested parties to information and discussion about the status of the work.

🌊 POLLUTION WITH PLASTICS IN THE ARCTIC
October 18, 9:00, Ríma A, Harpa Ground Floor
Organized by the Working Groups of the Arctic Council - AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) & Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)

🔥 CONFRONTING THE TRIPLE PLANETARY CRISIS IN THE ARCITC AND BEYOND
October 18, 15:35, Plenary sessions, Silfurberg, Second floor
Organized by: Arctic Circle in Collaboration with AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Arctic Council

See you soon in Iceland!

09/09/2025

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03/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FcFhS9mni/

🚨We're hiring!
The Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø🇳🇴 is looking for a Web & Digital Media Officer

We’re looking for someone who can:
✨ Keep our websites running smoothly and securely
✨ Design custom digital content and interactive features
✨ Apply web and digital best practices to support content strategy and drive web traffic
✨ Bring creative solutions to an international team

If you’re a web and digital media professional who thrives in a collaborative environment — this role might be perfect for you!

👉Learn more and apply: https://arctic-council.org/about/jobs/web-digital-media-officer/

21/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/176uNG923Z/

🫵 Are you the new Web and Digital Media Officer for the Arctic Council Secretariat?

Exciting opportunity for an experienced web officer with a strong interest in Arctic issues and circumpolar cooperation.

🤷‍♂️ Find out if this position is a fit for you or share it with someone who could be!
👉 https://arctic-council.org/about/jobs/web-digital-media-officer/

14/08/2025

📣 As negotiations resume today at INC-5.2, AMAP and the Litter and Microplastics Expert Group continues to highlight the urgent need to address plastic pollution in the Arctic. -5.2


Plastic pollution is omnipresent across Arctic environments, from shorelines to deep marine ecosystems, and its effects on wildlife are increasingly alarming. Since 2016, AMAP has prioritized plastics and microplastics as a growing environmental threat. In 2021, we launched a Pan-Arctic Monitoring Plan to support regional coordination and harmonized data collection.

This year, AMAP released a new Summary for Policymakers, formally approved by Arctic States and Permanent Participants, based on the work of 25 scientists from Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the United States.

🧊 “Plastic pollution is widespread in Arctic environments, affecting animals through entanglement in lines and nets, ingestion of plastic items and particles, and exposure to chemical additives in plastics.”

— Effects of Plastic Pollution on Arctic Animals, 2025

Key findings include:

- Plastic pollution causes entanglement, starvation, internal damage, and toxic exposure in whales, seals, birds, fish, and more.

- Important data gaps persist, especially in Arctic-specific studies.

- Urgent action is needed to protect Arctic wildlife and the communities who rely on them.

🌍 “As the UN is working towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, this report will feed into this work showing the widespread impacts of plastic pollution, even far from industrialized areas.”

— Sarah Kalhok Bourque, AMAP Chair

Access the Summary for Policy Makers here:

🔗 https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/effects-of-plastic-pollution-on-arctic-animals-summary-for-policy-makers/3845