Arctic Economic Council and Arctic Mayors’ Forum strengthen their partnership

Two pan-Arctic organizations, Arctic Economic Council (AEC) and Arctic Mayors’ Forum (AMF), signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday the 23rd of April during AEC’s annual general meeting that took place in Washington D.C.

“The Arctic region is vast but with less people than further south. Therefore we must work together to achieve our ambitions of creating thriving communities. Arctic Mayors’ Forum is a natural organization to partner with because they also represent the people living in the high north,” says executive director of the AEC Mads Qvist Frederiksen.

Both organisations are headquartered in the Arctic capital of Tromsø, Norway, but have members across the circumpolar north. AEC is celebrating its 10 years anniversary this year and AMF was established five years ago.

“Sustainable development, attraction and retention, youth and working with partners are just some of our priority areas that align well with the AEC. We are also both run by small secretariats so by uniting forces we can promote our common interests to a wider group of stakeholders,” says Secretary General of the AMF Patti Bruns.

Arctic Mayors’ Forum represents the voices of elected leaders at the municipal and community level across the Arctic. Their mission is to ensure the participation of their members at Arctic governance tables so that the values, goals and interests of Arctic peoples are voiced and considered. Today AMF has 18 members and the organization is chaired by the Mayor of Tromsø Gunnar Wilhelmsen.

Arctic Economic Council is the only pan-Arctic business membership organisation with private sector representatives from more than 10 countries as members. AEC works with policy advocacy, networking and communication with the ambition to promote the sustainable economic development of the Arctic. The organization follows the chairmanship rotation of the Arctic Council and its current chair, Inger Johnsen, is Head of Communication in the Norwegian renewable energy company Troms Kraft.

“It is often said that if you are not at the table, then you are on the menu. With this signing of the MOU we hope to support each other in our mutual goals at governance tables around the world,” says Mads Qvist Frederiksen

Read the MoU with the Arctic Mayors’ Forum here.

For more information:
Mads Qvist Frederiksen: 0047 45911056 and mads@arcticeconomiccouncil.com

Patti Bruns: 0047 48104011 and patti@arcticmayors.com