October 8, the Arctic Biodiversity Congress (CAFF, Arctic Council), held on October 9-12 in Rovaniemi, the Northern Forum organized a meeting of the Working Group on Environment and Biodiversity.

Chairman of the Working Group: Minister of Ecology, Environment, and Forestry of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Sahamin Afanasyev. The meeting was held in two stages. In the first half of the day, an official part was held with the participation of youth Eco-Forum delegates - 2018. In the afternoon, the Workin Group members were discussing issues in a closed meeting.

During the meeting, problematic environmental issues and mechanisms were considered for the further interaction of the regions to address them in the future.

Governor of Lapland Mika Riipi, State Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and the Problems of the North and the Far East Vladimir Pushkarev; Executive Director of the Northern Forum Mikhail Pogodaev participated in the official and working parts of the meeting.

he Head of the Service for Control and Supervision of the Environment, Wildlife Objects and Forest Relations of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra Sergey Pikunov; Yakov Sivtsev, Head of the State Budgetary Institution “Directorate of Biological Resources” at the Ministry of Ecology, Nature Management and Forestry of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Head of the Department for the Development of Ecological Culture of the Service for Control and Supervision in the Field of Environmental Protection, Wildlife Objects and Forest Relations of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra Larisa Kruglova; Natalia Zubko, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Department of Public and External Relations; Olga Timofeeva-Tereshkina, Deputy Executive Director of the Northern Forum; the coordinator of the project “The Red Book through the Eyes of Children” of the international organization of the northern regions “Northern Forum” Olga Stytsyuk; Chief Specialist of the Department for the Implementation of Industrial Policy and Export Support of the Department of International and Foreign Economic Relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Sabina Kapshanova; Varvara Parilova, Senior Specialist, Secretariat of the Northern Forum.

The participants of the meeting of the Working Group reviewed presentations of the Northern Forum member regions on biodiversity conservation and global climate change. Furthermore, they reviewed projects submitted to the competition committee of the Committee of Regional Coordinators of the Northern Forum, discussed organizational issues for the future work plan of the Northern Forum on Biodiversity Conservation and environmental protection.