NForum@northernforum.org Tex R Us LLC
The Northern Forum

Mission & Structure

Mission

  •  To improve the quality of life of Northern peoples by providing Northern regional leaders a means to share their knowledge and experience in addressing common challenges; and
  •  To support sustainable development and the implementation of cooperative socio-economic initiatives among Northern regions and through international fora.

 

 

 

 

Structure

Board of Governors
The members of the Northern Forum's Board of Governors are the senior political leaders of member regions: Governors, Premiers and, in some cases, Presidents. In seeking to work cooperatively to address broad issues of common concern, Board members oversee the implementation of Northern Forum policy and provide guidance for the organization as a whole. The Board also formally manages the Northern Forum Inc., an Alaskan corporation that is the business arm of the organization. The Chairman of the Board is elected during the General Assembly and can serve two terms. The present Chairman, elected in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, in June 2005 is Governor Filipenko from the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (Russia).

 

Executive Committee
The Board's Executive Committee is headed by a Chairman, currently Governor Filipenko from the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The Executive Committee consists of five members, representing the five main geographic areas,  including the Chair:

  •  Western Russia, Chairing Region, Governor Filipenko (Khanty-Mansiysk AO, Russia)
  •  the NorthEuropean Vice-Chair, represented by Mayor Sigrun Bjôrk Jakobsdottir (Akureyri, Iceland);
  •  the East Asian Vice-Chair, Governor Li Zhanshu from Heilongjiang Province (China);
  •  Eastern Russia Vice-Chair, President Shtyrov of the Sakha Republic (Russia);
  •  North American Vice Chair, Premier Ed Stelmach, Alberta (Canada).

 

 

Regional Coordinators
Regional Coordinators from each member region, who are designated by their respective Chief Executives, work cooperatively to identify and address day-to-day issues among member regions. In addition, the Regional Coordinators meet bi-annually to plan the upcoming General Assembly or Board of Governors meetings. Working closely with the Regional Coordinators, the Northern Forum Secretariat implements meeting plans and helps members to address projects, issues of concern and opportunities.

 


Secretariat
The Northern Forum has a main Secretariat in Anchorage, Alaska. There is also an Associate Secretariat in Rovaniemi (Lapland).


Membership
While most members are sub-national governments, membership in the Forum is open to commercial institutions. These members, known as Business Partners, must demonstrate interests in northern issues relevant to the Northern Forum's governmental members. Their membership has to be approved by a region of the Northern Forum, and they can participate in open meetings of the Northern Forum, but do not have a vote.