Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy

Discussions began in 1989, with the AEPS adopted in June 1991 by Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

This was followed by the second consultative meeting in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada in April 1990 where a third ad hoc group was established to develop the strategy.

Kiruna, Sweden was the site of the third meeting, held in January 1991, where one group worked on the drafting the AEPS while another dealt with specific environmental issues.

Three indigenous peoples' organizations observed, participated, assisted in developing the strategy, and later became Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council: the Saami Council, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, and the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation (RAIPON).

[3] They considered the Rovaniemi ministerial meeting to be "historic" as it represented the first time that Arctic indigenous peoples participated in an international declaration's preparation process.