| Summary: | "The Task Force on Arctic Marine Cooperation (TFAMC) held its first meeting in Oslo, Norway on September 21‐22, 2015. The meeting was chaired by Kjell Kristian Egge (Norway) together with Brian Israel (US) and Jóhann Sigurjónsson (Iceland). All Arctic States and three Permanent Participant organizations (the Saami Council, the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the Aleut International Association) attended the meeting. Nine observers were present (France, Germany, the Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, the European Union, CCU, SCPAR, UNEP and WWF). The point of departure for the discussions was the mandate set forth in the April 2015 Iqaluit Declaration and SAO Report to Ministers. The co‐chairs recalled that the mandate is to assess future needs for a regional seas program or other mechanism, as appropriate, for increased cooperation in Arctic marine areas, and to make recommendations on the nature and scope of any such mechanisms. Ministers’ decision to form the Task Force did not constitute a decision to establish a cooperation mechanism; The Task Force’s deliverable is a report to Ministers in 2017. It was emphasized that while the mandate is quite broad, the SAO Report provides substantial direction as to the questions the Task Force should answer in its report, and the order in which it should take up these questions. The co‐chairs suggested that addressing the needs assessment component of the mandate is the logical starting point for the work of the TFAMC. Delegations concurred." /./
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