PAME is the focal point of the Arctic Council’s activities related to the protection and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment and provides a unique forum for collaboration on a wide range of activities in this regard.
PAME carries out activities as set out in bi-annual work plans approved by the Arctic Council on the recommendation of the Senior Arctic Officials. These activities led by PAME include circumpolar and regional action programmes and guidelines complementing existing legal arrangements aimed at protection of the Arctic marine environment from both land and sea-based activities. PAME works in close collaboration with the other five Arctic Council Working Groups.
The PAME Working Group generally meets twice per year. Each meeting produces Records of Decisions (RoD's) which form the basis for the meeting reports The RoD's are decisions taken by PAME by consensus.
Participation between meetings varies, but each Arctic Council Member State nominates experts for the meetings, which are also open to the Permanent Participants, Observers in addition to experts invited by PAME.
Ministerial deliverables are documents which PAME produced for each Ministerial Meetings. The Arctic Council Ministers can either approved, welcome or note the deliverables.
Deliverables are generally the main documents associated with each PAME project.
The reports to the Senior Arctic Officials are generally short and concise overviews of the PAME working group proceeedings between SAO meetings. They give an update and overview on ongoing projects. SAO meetings are held regularly but progress reports are generally released once or twice per year.
The purpose of the PAME Work Plan is to provide a framework for PAME´s work related to the protection of the Arctic marine environment for every two year working period.
The PAME Work Plan includes information on all ongoing PAME projects and gives insight into activities ongoing at the given time.
PAME activities are guided by the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan and biennial Work Plans, which are developed by the PAME Working Group for approval by the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials.
The AMSP articulates how the Arctic Council can increase its understanding of the impacts of human activities, climate change and ocean acidification.
The AMSP recognizes the importance of acquiring a better understanding of Arctic change so that actions can be taken that allow Arctic inhabitants, including Arctic indigenous peoples to further adapt to the change.
The strategic actions identified in the AMSP will guide the work of the Arctic Council and its subsidiary bodies in the coming decade.
Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Marine Activities (MEMA) is a cross-cutting oil & gas and shipping project which compiles and analyzes existing documents and summarize stheir main aspects, principles, and processes for engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities.
The project covers all Arctic marine and coastal activities, including shipping, offshore oil and gas activities, coastal infrastructure development, and research and management activities. The information compiled comes from Arctic Council documents and reports, national legal regimes and guidance of Arctic states, guidelines and declarations from communities and indigenous organizations, international instruments, and guidance from industry, NGO’s and other stakeholders.
Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Marine Activities (2019)
For the Part II report, the project team’s analysis focused on hundreds of documents related to the engagement of Indigenous peoples and local communities. These came from the Arctic Council, Indigenous peoples and local communities, industry and government. Several nonendorsed analytical background documents and a workshop report supported the development of this Part II report, too.
This report also features the wisdom of five guest authors who have much experience in meaningful engagement with Indigenous peoples and local communities. Their views and project proponent perspectives drive home the essence of building trust with community members and conducting meaningful engagement.
The audience for this Part II report includes the Arctic Council, governments, Indigenous peoples and local communities, industry, non-governmental organizations and researchers.
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Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Marine Activities (MEMA)
MEMA is a cross-cutting oil & gas and shipping project which will compile and analyze existing documents and summarize their main aspects, principles, and processes for engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities.
MEMA PART I
MEMA PART II
REFERENCE GUIDE
DATABASE
The MEMA Information Database is a compilation of over 750 documents that relate to engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and formed the basis for the MEMA Reports I & II. The documents may be legislation and regulations, or it may be guidance and recommendations by governments, Arctic Council, academia, NGOs, industry and Indigenous People.