The Arctic Council has been recognized as a unique forum for co-operation between national governments and indigenous peoples in the Arctic. The Council was established in 1996 by the eight Arctic countries with outreach above the Arctic Circle; Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. In addition, six indigenous organizations have the status of permanent par ticipants in the work of the Council. The member states and indigenous organizations take par t in the work on de facto equal footing. In decision making the Arctic Council pays great attention to the traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples. The indigenous populations of the Arctic are represented by the Aleut International Association, the Arctic Athabaskan Council, the Gwich’in Council International, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Nor th (RAIPON) and the Saami Council. There is also an opportunity for non-arctic states, inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary organizations and non-governmental organizations to become involved as observers in the work of the Council.(Int J Circumpolar Health 2002; 61(2):88-91)