Opening speech

Ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of the Government of Greenland it is a great honour for me to speak at the launch of the Arctic Council’s Arctic Species Trend Index report.

We all know how important the Arctic is to our countries. The work presented today is a great example of what we can learn when we work together, pool our resources and share our information.

Results arising from the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna’s (CAFF) Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP), like the Arctic Species Trend Index, helps to shorten the time it takes us to detect changes in biodiversity trends and develop and implement the appropriate policies.

I look forward to the findings of the ASTI report and further work from the CAFF’s working group that will help decision makers to build sustainable policies together with the public to ensure that the Arctic environment and cultures remain strong and resilient in a changing world.

In this respect, I would also like to highlight the importance of involving local peoples in research projects and ensure the use of traditional ecological knowledge in these processes, including the knowledge of our local hunters and fishermen. In this context it is important to ensure the vitality of our languages, as languages are how we interpret and understand our environments. Along with ensuring that results are communicated to the general public. There is an effort in the Arctic Council to ensure this and I welcome these efforts.

With these remarks, I thank you for your attention.