Inuit leaders from across the Arctic will visit Nome in 2030 for the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s (ICC) 16th General Assembly.
The Nome meeting was announced by delegates from the Bering Strait region at the end of this year’s gathering in Iqaluit, the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
According to a joint press release(opens in new tab) from co-organizers Kawerak and Bering Straits Native Corporation, over 70 official delegates will represent the council’s four regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Chukotka, Russia. In total, about 400 people are expected to attend.
The General Assembly is held every four years and is ICC’s highest decision-making body. Delegates set policy priorities, elect leadership and establish the organization’s direction for the following four years. ICC represents Inuit peoples internationally on issues ranging from Indigenous rights and Arctic governance to food security, climate change and cultural preservation.
The 2030 gathering will mark the first ICC General Assembly in Nome since 1995.
“We look forward, with immense excitement and a deep sense of responsibility, to continuing the honored tradition of the ICC General Assembly by co-hosting its 16th session in Nome, Alaska,” Kawerak Board of Directors Co-Chair Frank Katchatag said. “We are eager to unite with our fellow Inuit from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka to advance our collective sovereignty, protect our Arctic waters, and assert food security— and Kawerak is incredibly proud to support this circumpolar vision.”
ICC held its 15th General Assembly in Iqaluit from July 22-25. The four-day meeting ended with delegates adopting the 2026 Iqaluit Declaration, a document that will guide ICC’s work for the next four years. Delegates also elected Aluki Kotierk of Canada as ICC chair for the 2026-2030 term.
Among the priorities adopted in Iqaluit were protections for Inuit hunting and harvesting rights, Inuit food sovereignty and greater Inuit involvement in managing lands, waters and wildlife.
The declaration says food security depends on food sovereignty and directs ICC to continue advocating for Inuit rights to hunt, fish and gather throughout Inuit Nunaat. Delegates also called for governments to pursue co-management with Inuit and for stronger collaboration on fish, wildlife and marine resources. The declaration specifically cited the collapse of salmon runs on Alaska’s Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers as an example of threats to food security.
Climate change was another major focus. Delegates directed ICC to continue representing Inuit in international climate policy discussions and called for governments to support Inuit-led responses to erosion, permafrost thaw, sea ice loss, flooding and extreme weather. The declaration cited ex-typhoons Merbok in 2022(opens in new tab) and Halong in 2025(opens in new tab) among disasters affecting Alaska communities.
Marine shipping and Arctic governance also received significant attention. ICC became the first(opens in new tab) Indigenous Peoples’ Organization to receive permanent consultative status at the International Maritime Organization in 2025. Delegates directed ICC to use that status to address increasing vessel traffic, tourism and shipping regulations and called for shipping corridors and other safety measures to be developed with Inuit and informed by Indigenous knowledge.
Other decisions included calls for increased investment in Inuit-led research, protection of Inuit data sovereignty, language revitalization, affordable housing and safe drinking water, as well as stronger Inuit-led public safety, mental health and youth programs.
BSNC Board Chairman Robert “Bobby” Evans, who attended the Iqaluit assembly as a Bering Strait region delegate, said hosting the event in Nome will bring cultural, social and economic benefits.
“We look forward to coming together as one People to learn and share our cultures," Evans said.
Specific dates, venues and other details for the 2030 General Assembly will be announced closer to the meeting.
