ICC Canada congratulates Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) on his renewed mandate. “We will continue to work with this government, and engage with the other parties, to ensure that the issues we speak on behalf of Inuit are understood, at the United Nations, Arctic Council, and the UNFCCC process, to name a few,” said Monica Ell-Kanayuk, President of … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council says there is much to be proud of in terms of accomplishments over the past quarter century. ICC praised the many Senior Arctic Officials and Permanent Participants for pushing significant policy recommendations forward, and eventually adopted by the Ministers of the eight Arctic states over the past two and a half … Read more
The release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report confirms once again what Inuit have been witnessing for over three decades – human induced climate change is real, and the Arctic is changing at a dramatic pace and under threat, according to the Inuit Circumpolar Council. “Both the Policy Summary and the Technical Summary note … Read more
The appointment of former Inuit Circumpolar Council Chair Mary Simon as Canada’s 30th Governor General is a major step forward in relations between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples domestically, and globally. “Mary Simon distinguished herself as our former ICC Chair from 1986-1992,” stated ICC Canada President Monica Ell-Kanayuk. “She was instrumental in the development of … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council views the passage of Bill C-15 in Canada to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as an historic step towards supporting the distinct human rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada and those across the globe. “From an international human rights perspective, Canada’s passage of legislation to implement UNDRIP within … Read more
Inuit in the circumpolar Arctic region are unified in expressing solidarity with Indigenous peoples in Canada affected by the revelation that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were discovered in unmarked burials near a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. “This is a very dark chapter of our history in Canada which we are all … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council presented its case for consultative status to the International Maritime Organization and took questions from the international Council during a virtual session on February 22nd. “Article 9 of the Utqiaġvik Declaration encouraged ICC to engage more fully in international organizations,” said ICC Chair Dalee Sambo Dorough. “Though presently active in a diverse … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council applauds the positive actions taken by the Government of Canada in tabling legislation in the Canadian House of Commons on December 3rd that would implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. ICC Chair Dalee Sambo Dorough stated: “Following decades of direct involvement in the drafting of the … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council participated in the International Maritime Organization Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75) virtual meetings, held November 16-20, 2020. “The current Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) regulation as passed will not effectively protect the Arctic from HFO for over a decade, yet it is labelled a ban. The regulation as written sets up an … Read more
The Inuit Circumpolar Council has issued a policy paper on the matter of “local communities”, outlining how the term has eroded and undermined Inuit rights by UN member States and within major intergovernmental forums including the specialized agencies of the United Nations and regional institutions such as the Arctic Council. ICC Chair Dalee Sambo Dorough stated … Read more
