The Global Affairs Canada is seeking one Canadian organization/institution or one group of Canadian organizations/institutions to implement the entire project.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to select an organization or institution or group that will establish a Canada-based permanent Secretariat for the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) of the Arctic Council.

The Secretariat is a key deliverable in the international chapter of Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy (ANPF) Framework. The project will:

• strengthen the Arctic Council’s international position as a high-level intergovernmental forum that fosters cooperation, coordination and interaction among the eight Arctic states, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities, and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues
• support Canada in its historic role as a champion for issues related to the human dimension of the Arctic
• strengthen Canada’s leadership on Arctic issues
• enhance the Sustainable Development Working Group’s capacity to work on Arctic Indigenous and community interests

This project is part of the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative at Global Affairs Canada.

Outcomes

• The project’s ultimate outcome
  • The work of the SDWG protects and improves the environment, economy, social conditions and health of Indigenous peoples and Arctic inhabitants.
• The project’s intermediate outcomes
  • enhanced contributions from the SDWG in support of Arctic Council member states and Permanent Participants to address the human dimension, including Arctic Indigenous and community interests, in the Arctic
  • increased programming opportunities available to the SDWG to help the working group fulfill its mandate

Funding Information

Your organization/institution must provide a total project budget of up to $5.5M over five years, of which a portion should be dedicated to a Project Fund. As the Secretariat becomes more established, Global Affairs Canada expects the Fund to increase each year to reach a minimum of 40% of Global Affairs Canada’s contribution.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered under this call, your organization/institution (or each member organizations/institutions of your group) must meet the following organizational eligibility requirements:

• is part of one of the following:
  • public educational institution
  • non-governmental organization (NGO)
  • not-for-profit organization
• is a Canadian legal entity (you must provide proof of legal status [e.g. a letter of incorporation])
• is not a member of the Arctic Cooperation Advisory Committee (ACAC) or a lobby group. The ACAC and lobby groups are not eligible to submit an application under this call

For more information, visit Global Affairs Canada.