November 28, 2019 – Ilulissat, Greenland – The Executive Council of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) held a productive meeting in Ilulissat, Greenland November 23-25. They also met with the Municipal Council of Avannaata Kommunia and Mayor Palle Jerimiassen to hear about local preparations underway for hosting of the 14th ICC General Assembly in July, 2022.
The Mayor Palle Jerimiassen and ICC Chair Dalee Sambo Dorough signed a Memorandum of Intent to hold the 14th ICC General Assembly in July 2022 with the presence of the Municipal Council, the ICC Executive Council, and youth representatives from throughout Inuit Nunaat.
“ICC Greenland looks forward to hosting this event in cooperation with the people of Avannaata Kommunia and the town of Ilulissat,” said Hjalmar Dahl, President of ICC Greenland. “A local organizing committee is already working on preparations for the meeting here in Ilulissat, which is used to receiving many visitors as tourism is the emerging industry in this town.”
ICC holds a General Assembly every four years at which time delegates from across the circumpolar region elect a new Chair and an executive council, develop policies, and adopts a Declaration to guide ICC activities for the coming term. The General Assembly provides an opportunity for sharing information, discussing common concerns, debating issues, celebrating Inuit culture, and strengthening the bonds between all Inuit.
“We will be reporting on the work we are doing collectively, among the four countries, towards implementing the Utqiaġvik Declaration,” said ICC Chair Dalee Sambo Dorough. “Again, we will come together and discuss the critical issues facing us as distinct peoples, from climate change to Arctic Sovereignty to food security, for example. The Utqiaġvik Declaration has 10 major sections and 58 clauses.”
Ilulissat is the third largest city in Greenland after Nuuk and Sisimiut, with a population of just under 5,000. The name of the city means “place of icebergs” in Kalaallisut. It is close to the Ilulissat Icefjord where there are enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Contact:
Kelly Eningowuk
ICC (Alaska)
(907) 274-9058
kelly@iccalaska.org
Natasha Latreille
ICC (Canada)
(613) 563-2642
NLatreille@inuitcircumpolar.com