For immediate release (Oct. 12)
Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, president of Iceland, will open an outdoor photography exhibition displaying the beauty of the Arctic outside of Harpa in advance of the Arctic Circle on October 15 at 17:30.
The event will feature:
- Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, president of Iceland
- Eiríkur Björn Björgvinsson, mayor of Akureyri
- Kári Fannar Lárusson, programme manager, CAFF International Secretariat
The 15 images to be displayed are the winning results of the Arctic Biodiversity “Through the Lens” photography competition, held by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. The competition received over 1800 entries from photographers from across the globe.
This showcase is part of a travelling exhibit that is raising awareness of the importance of Arctic wildlife and ecosystems, bringing attention to the multiple challenges facing Arctic nature and celebrating Arctic diversity. Furthermore the competition is intended to increase the visibility of the Arctic Council’s Arctic Biodiversity Assessment as well as the ongoing implementation of its recommendations.
The competition and touring exhibition have been made possible by sponsors including the Alcoa Foundation, the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network, and 14 Icelandic Arctic organizations. For more information please visit: www.arcticbiodiversity.is/photo-contest.
Contact
Kári Fannar Lárusson, +354 6992203, Program Manager
Courtney Price, +354 8213609, Communications Manager
About the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)
CAFF is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council and consists of National Representatives assigned by each of the eight Arctic Council Member States, representatives of Indigenous Peoples' organizations that are Permanent Participants to the Council, and Arctic Council observer countries and organizations. CAFF´s mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources.
CAFF is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council and consists of National Representatives assigned by each of the eight Arctic Council Member States, representatives of Indigenous Peoples' organizations that are Permanent Participants to the Council, and Arctic Council observer countries and organizations. CAFF’s mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources. For more information: 
The Arctic Council is a high level intergovernmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. Arctic Council Member States are Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States of America. In addition to the Member States, the Arctic Council has the category of Permanent Participants who include the Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC), Aleut International Association (AIA), Gwich'in Council International (GGI), Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) and the Saami Council (SC). For more information: 
