The foreign ministers from the Arctic Council's member countries outlined the forum's priority activities in their joint statement on the occasion of the Arctic Council's 20^th anniversary. The statement included the following: improve the well-being of Arctic inhabitants, protect the Arctic environment and promote sustainable development throughout the region, including maintaining the cultural heritage and livelihoods of the Arctic indigenous peoples. The ministers' joint statement was posted on the Foreign Ministry's website.

 "On this twentieth anniversary of the Arctic Council, we, the Arctic States, reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the Ottawa Declaration,  to work together and with the Indigenous Permanent Participants, and to promote prosperity, development, and environmental sustainability for the benefit of the generations to come," the statement reads.

The document also states the need for urgent global action based on the 2015 Paris Agreement.