Structure
The Council has 18 members. Six from each country, who are appointed by the three nations' parliaments proportionally to the individual parties' relative strength in the respective parliaments. Each national delegation appoints a delegation president, who then serves in the West Nordic Council's Presidium. The Presidium is thus composed of three members. The Presidency of the Presidium rotates among the three nations, so that over a three-year period, each takes office for a term of one year. In Greenland, by tradition, the President of Inatsisartut is appointed as the national delegate to the West Nordic Council.
Main Objectives of the West Nordic Council
- To promote the common interests of the West Nordics
- To serve as guardians of North Atlantic resources and culture and assist in promoting West Nordic interests through their respective governments
- To follow up on the governments' West Nordic cooperation
- To cooperate with the Nordic Council and to serve as the link in promoting West Nordic interests within Nordic cooperation
- To act as the parliamentary link between West Nordic organisations, and other inter-regional and international alliances, including the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region