2013 – Moscow, Russia

The year 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, a unique multilateral Agreement to protect the polar bear, the ecosystems of which it is part, and the role of polar bears in the cultural and traditional life of indigenous people of the Arctic. The five polar bear Range States—Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States of America—met in Moscow, Russia to commemorate this historic event. A forum on the conservation of polar bears was held 04 December 2013, during which the Range States celebrated the success of the Agreement and recognized emerging challenges for polar bears. The forum culminated in the signing of a Declaration in which the Range States reaffirmed their commitment to work cooperatively for the conservation of polar bears in the 21st century. The forum was followed by the biennial meeting of the Range States 05-06 December 2013.