Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) – one of a range of synthetically produced chemically inert compounds in which chlorinated hydrocarbon is treated with hydrogen fluoride. Used in industrial processes, refrigeration and as a propellant for gases and sprays. CFC’s is known to have negative effect on the ozone layer, and their use is now restricted under the Montreal Protocol.
Chordata – there are around 45,000 different species of chordata, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
Chukchi Sea – a sea north of Chukotskiy Poluostrov (Chukotka Peninsula) and the Bering Strait, bordered to the northwest by Ostrova Vrangelya (Wrangel Island) and to the east by the Beaufort Sea. The maximum depth of the sea is 75 meters. The sea can be navigated from the middle of June until the middle of October. The sea is named after the indigenous peoples of Chukotskiy Poluostrov.
Chukotka– in Russian Chukotskiy Poluostrov. Chukotka is a large peninsula of 737,700 square kilometres in the Russian Far East at the Bering Strait. The most eastern end is at Cape Dezhnev. The population counts approximately 55,000 inhabitants, whereof approximately 30% are indigenous. Approximately 23% are Chuckchi, and less than 3% are Yupik or Eskimos. The majority population is Russian. The administrative centre and home for the local government is Anadyr. The Eskimos of Chukotka are members of Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).
Chukotsky avtonomny okrug – the autonomous district of Chukotka. The head of the district is Governor Roman A. Abramovich.
CIA – Central Intelligence Agency (U.S.A.).
CIDA – Canadian International Development Agency.
Circumboreal distribution – the distribution pattern displayed by organisms in the boreal (northern taiga) zone.
Circumpolar – the surrounding in the vicinity of a terrestrial pole – either north or south.
Circumpolar distribution – the distribution pattern displayed by organisms in the polar zone– either north or south.
Circumpolar Infrastructure Task Force (CITF) – a joint activity of both the Northern Forum (regional governments) and the Arctic Council (national governments). The Task Force works on three main issues in the North: aviation, telecommunications, and marine links.
Circumpolar Universities Association – an association for the cooperation between universities and other institutes of higher learning and research in the circumpolar region of. The association was involved in developing The University of the Arctic. The Secretariat is situated at the University of Tromsø, Norway.
CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States. CIS consists of the former members of the Soviet Union, except the Baltic States.
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
CITF Circumpolar Infrastructure Task Force (CITF).
Civil disobedience – is a form of passive resistance from people that consider a law unjust. By practicing civil disobedience people want to call attention to its injustice, and hope to bring about its repeal or amendment. Some people are also willing to accept any penalty, such as imprisonment.
Climate – the prevalent long term (usually taken over a 30-year time period) weather conditions in a particular area. Climatic elements include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine and wind velocity and phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms.
Climate change – can be caused by an increase in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, which inhibit the transmission of some of the sun’s energy from the earth’s surface to outer space. These gases include carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and other chemicals. It is a fact that the Arctic ice pack is melting. The pack ice has a great influence on the entire global weather system, because the white surface reflects solar energy away from the Earth and acts as a refrigerator for the planet. The global warming that is caused by the greenhouse gases mainly causes the melting down of the ice. As well as the global warming has a major impact on the ice pack, it also has a negative influence on the inland ice of Greenland as well as other glaciers around the circumpolar Arctic. Since the pack ice is home to polar bears, whales, walruses, seals and numerous fish and bird species, as well as micro-organisms, the melting down of the ice will cause a great impact on those people depending on the subsistence hunt of these species. At present it is feared that the global warming may cause the collapse of the entire hunting culture of the Arctic. A Statement at the Ministerial Meeting in Arctic Council, November 2004 by Arctic Indigenous Peoples):“To Arctic Indigenous Peoples climate change is a cultural issue. We have survived in a harsh environment for thousands of years by listening to its cadence and adjusting to its rhythms. We are part of the environment and if, as a result of global climate change, the species of animals upon which we depend are greatly reduced in number or location or even disappear, we, as peoples would become endangered as well.” (Time for Action on Climate Change.
Cold War – the hostile relations between East and West, beginning in 1947 and ending in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Collective rights – indigenous rights include the collective right to ownership of the land. According to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) of September 12, 2007:“indigenous individuals are entitled without discrimination to all human rights recognized in international law, and that indigenous peoples possess collective rights which are indispensable for their existence, well-being and integral development as peoples,”
Collectivism – any politico-economic doctrine (communism or socialism) that advocates communal or state ownership, and communal or state control of the means of production and distribution.
Colloidal particles – are gaseous, liquid, or solid particles. They may occur in various types of suspensions, e.g., solid/gas (aerosol), solid/solid, liquid/liquid (emulsion) and gas/liquid (foam).
Colonialism – the system or policy by which a country maintains foreign colonies, especially in order to exploit them economically.
Commercial whaling – the International Whaling Commission (IWC) distinguishes between two types of whaling operations, the commercial and the Aboriginal subsistence whaling. The commercial whaling aims at maximising profits. Uncertainties in the scientific data made in 1982 the IWC decide to protect all whale stocks with a moratorium, or pause in commercial whaling from 1985/86. The moratorium has no effect on Aboriginal subsistence whaling, which is undertaken by the Indigenous peoples of Greenland, Alaska, Chukotka, St Vincent and the Grenadines. At the IWC meeting in 2006 a small majority on 33 nations in favour of stopping the moratorium outvoted the 32 nations that does not want to reintroduce commercial whaling. To end the moratorium, a three-quarter majority is needed. Some nations, like Japan and Norway have questioned the moratorium and have taken up whaling again.
Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland (KVUG).
Committee – a group of people organized to support a cause or a group of people chosen to consider, investigate, and report or act on specific matters.
Committee for Original Peoples’ Entitlement (COPE) – established to resolve the Inuvialuit land claim. It arose from concern regarding development in the Western Arctic region. COPE consisted of elders and younger Inuvialuit wanting to ensure that the Inuvialuit voice was heard.
Common heritage – heritage shared by all or a group. Often used about certain living resources like whales.
Common law – law system originating from England based on custom or court decisions.
Communiqué – an official communication or bulletin.
Community – a group of individuals living at the same place and having the same common interests. Any set of social relationships operating within certain boundaries, locations or territories.
Comprehensive Claims – indigenous peoples’ claims in Canada, which are based on the recognition that there are continuing indigenous rights to lands and natural resources where indigenous claims have not previously been dealt with by treaties or other legal means.
Concerned parties – involved parties.
Confederation – independent nations or states joined in a league or confederacy whose central authority is usually confined to common defence or foreign relations.
Conference on the Human Dimension (CHD) – conferences under the CSCE. Parallel conferences on Indigenous Rights were arranged in Copenhagen 1990 (ICC and IWGIA) and in Moscow 1991 (Ass. of the Northern Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union – later RAIPON). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples – Canadian Indigenous organisation that works for achieving equality for indigenous peoples regardless of their status or where they live in Canada. The Congress is comprised of 14 indigenous organisations.
Conibear trap – a quick-kill device. 88% of furbearing animals in Canada are taken by a quick-kill trapping method. The intent of the Conibear trap is to put the animal unconscious as soon as possible.
Consensus – an opinion held by all or most, or a general agreement.
Consensus Decision-making – the traditional decision-making style and process of indigenous peoples with relation to fundamental community affairs.
Conservation – protection of natural resources. The management of human use of the biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations. Thus conservation is positive, embracing preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilization, restoration, and enhancement of the natural environment" (IUCN 1980). However, conservation means different things to different people, and advocates of conservation, whether of landscapes or of species (in situ), varies in their attitudes to local people. Although some believe those local communities, their knowledge, and their traditional life-styles must have an important role in conservation, others believe that conservation requires the tight restriction of human activities (and sometimes even human presence) in the targeted area.
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) – was originally a part of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS). To day a working group under the Arctic Council. The main activities of CAFF lie within habitat conservation, species conservation and integrating traditional knowledge. The goals are to conserve Arctic flora and fauna, their diversity and their habitats, to protect the Arctic ecosystem from threats, to improve conservation management, laws, regulations and practices for the Arctic, and to integrate Arctic interests into global conservation fora. The secretariat is in Akureyri, Iceland.
Conservationist – a person who advocates the conservation of natural resources.
Considering – in view of.
Constitution – the way in which a government, state, society etc. is organized and governed, or the supreme law of a country.
Contaminants – any substance that is either present in an environment where it does not belong or is present at levels that might cause harmful effects to humans or the environment.
Convening – the coming together usually for an official or public purpose, like a conference, etc.
Convention – an agreement between nations, or an assembly of members or delegates.
Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (ILO No. 169) – a convention adopted in 1989 went further than ILO Convention no. 107 in stating “irrespective of their legal status, Indigenous people should retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions.” The two conventions together recognize the historic relationship between indigenous peoples and their inhabited land and stress the rights of indigenous peoples to exercise control over their own institutions, ways of life and economic development within the boundaries of States where they live. “Self-identification as indigenous or tribal shall be regarded as a fundamental criterion for determining the groups to which the provisions of this Convention apply.” Indigenous Rights.
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage – also called the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. A UN convention of 1972. The convention notes that the cultural heritage and the natural heritage are increasingly threatened with destruction not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions which aggravate the situation with even more formidable phenomena’s of damage or destruction. In the Greenland, the Ilulissat Ice fjord was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004. Submissions to the tentative list are the church ruin at Hvalsø, episcopal residence at Gardar, and Brattahlid (a Norse/Eskimo cultural landscape) (2003) and Aasivissuit, Arnangarnup Qoorua (a Greenlandic inland and coastal hunting area) (2003).
Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft – a convention from 1972, also called the Oslo Convention. Its objective is “To control the dumping of harmful substances from ships and aircraft in the sea.” The convention includes the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans north of latitude 36-north, east of longitude 42-west and west of longitude 51-east, excluding the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.
Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources – sometimes referred to as the Paris Convention of 1974. The Convention forms part of a comprehensive set of progressive and coherent measures to protect the marine environment from pollution. The convention includes the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans north of latitude 36-north, east of longitude 42-west and west of longitude 51-east, excluding the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – an international treaty that was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Convention has three main goals: 1) conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); 2) sustainable use of its components; and 3) fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. In other words, its objective is to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Article 8. In-situ Conservation: “Each Contracting Party shall, as far as possible and as appropriate:” 8 (j) “Subject to its national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices.” CBD is seen as the key document regarding sustainable development. It was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 and entered into force on 29 December 1993.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna(CITES) – the Washington Convention of 1973 contains import-export restrictions on about one thousand species of rare animals and plants, living or dead, and on products from these animals. They are listed in three appendices according to their conservation status. Those threatened with immediate extinction are found in Appendix I. Appendix II contains those which could become extinct if trade were not regulated. Appendix III lists species, which individual governments wish to regulate within their borders. There are more than 4,800 animal species and 25,000 plant species listed in CITES. About 30 of these animal species and a few of the plant species occur in Greenland. Parts of and products made from sperm whale teeth, from the baleen of bowhead, fin or humpback whales, and from all bird of prey species may not be exported from Greenland. The export of parts and products originating from walruses, beluga whales, polar bears and minke whales from West Greenland requires a CITES permit. Included, for example, are jewellery made from walrus, polar bear claws and craft items made from whalebone or baleen. Similar rules exist in the other Arctic countries.
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) – a convention often referred to as the Geneva Convention. The convention opened for signature in 1979 and entered into force on March 16, 1983. Its intention is to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution. Currently, the Convention's priority activities include review and possible revision of its most recent protocols, implementation of the Convention and its protocols across the entire UNECE region (with special focus on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and South-East Europe) and sharing its knowledge and information with other regions of the world.
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats – the “Bern Convention” was adopted in 1979, and has been in force since 1982. The convention deals with conserving wild fauna and flora and their natural habitats, especially where the co-operation of several States is needed to achieve this. Appendix 1 lists strictly protected plants; 2, strictly protected animals (including 19 species of cetacean); 3, protected animals, including all other cetacean species; 4, prohibited means or methods of killing, capture and other exploitation.
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals – the “Bonn Convention” was signed in 1979, and has been in force since 1983. Two Appendices list species presently endangered and in need of immediate protection (1), and species, which have an unfavourable conservation status as well as those, which would benefit from the international cooperation, which could be achieved by an International Agreement (2). These Appendices cover certain species of the North and Baltic Seas populations of cetaceans.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) – adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. The Convention defines discrimination against women as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matters – usually called the “London Convention”. The convention was signed in 1972, and is one of the first global conventions to protect the marine environment from human activities and has been in force since 1975. Its objective is to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes and other matter. In 1996, the "London Protocol" was agreed to further modernize the Convention and, eventually, replace it. Under the Protocol all dumping is prohibited, except for possibly acceptable wastes on the so-called "reverse list". The Protocol entered in to force on 24 March 2006 and there are currently 30 Parties to the Protocol.
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR) – a convention adopted in Ramsar in 1971, and has been in force since 1975. The intention of the convention is to protect wetlands including marine waters of no more than 6 metres deep at low tide. Wise use. Wetlands.
Convince – to make someone agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something.
Co-operation – a joint effort or operation, or an association of a number of people in an enterprise for mutual benefits or profits.
COPE Committee for Original Peoples’ Entitlement (COPE).
Coriolis force – is the force that on the northern hemisphere deflects all movement to the right, caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis.
Cost-benefit analysis – is a technique for appraising the total economic costs and benefits arising in, especially new projects.
Cost-effective – something that is economical based on the tangible benefits produced by the money spent. A reasonable cost of doing business that generates adequate profits is cost effective.
Council – a group of people chosen as an administrative, advisory or legislative assembly, or the legislative body of a town or city.
Coup d’état – the sudden overthrow of state power by unconstitutional means.
Covenant – a formal agreement between persons or nations.
Critically Endangered (CR) – an IUCN category (Red Data Book). A taxon (species or genus) is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. IUCN Red Data Book.
Crustacean – a variety of arthropods or shelled animals, like shrimp, crabs, lobsters etc.
CSCE – Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. Now OSCE. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Cultivated ecosystem – an ecosystem where the human impact is greater than that of any other species, and most of whose structural components are cultivated.
Cultural Heritage Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Culture – the ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a given people in a given period. Includes land, language, ways of living and working artistic expression, relationships and identity.
Cumulative impacts – a concept meaning that impacts on the environment both good and bad may add to one another over time.
Custom – tradition, practice and culture passed down through the centuries.
Customary laws – laws based on customs and practices. Customary laws are recognized and deemed obligatory when they are sufficiently fixed and settled over a long time. In international law, customary law refers to rules and practices that are recognized and accepted internationally, usually over a long period.