Many, though by now means all, of them have at their center environmental or natural resources issues. What is common to all these problems is, first, that solving the problem requires cooperation among many nations and, second, that it requires an understanding of the science behind the problem. The Arctic Council reflects all this in that it is all-inclusive. It consists not just of diplomats, but also scientists and technical experts, indigenous people, NGOs and others. The Council also reflects the new face of foreign policy in that it's a science-based organization.
Science today plays a much larger role in the making of foreign policy than ever before.
And the Council's working groups reflect that development in the volume of research they publish on a broad range of environmental and health science issues. We here at the State Department appreciate the broader role that science plays in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy, and we are working hard to adapt. Science has shown us that the Arctic region is uniquely valuable to scientists trying to understand broader world-wide environmental changes that are occurring, and why. For example, the presence of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic environment tells us a lot about the migratory qualities of these chemicals. There is also the unique effect of increased ultra-violet radiation on Arctic plant and animal life.