Permanent Participant to the Arctic Council: The Aleut International Association (AIA)

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The Aleut International Association (AIA), a trans-border Association of Aleut people, represents the people of Aleut descent located in both the United States and Russia. It was created in 1998 as a non-profit organisation to unite two Aleut associations: the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) in the US, and the association of the Indigenous peoples of the North of the Aleut District of the Kamchatka Region of the Russian Federation (ANSARKO). 

The approximate total number of Aleut people is over 15,000. Traditionally called the Unangan people, the Aleut have inhabited the territories of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska in the US and the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Federation for about 10,000 years. The symbol of their unity within the two countries remains the traditional cultural practices historically rooted in the great Bering Sea and the North Pacific. The association aims to address the environmental and cultural concerns of the Aleut people connected to the rich natural resources of the Bering Sea. The AIA also aims to collaborate with governments, scientists, and other regional and international forums to share their concerns on issues such as climate change and increased human activities that pose a challenge to their physical and cultural survival. 

A board of directors governs the AIA, the members of which include eight Aleut representations, four from each country. A president is elected to lead the association. Since 1998, the association has held the status of Permanent Participant in the Arctic Council. Since 2004, the AIA has been enjoying Special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Additionally, it is accredited with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

Source: 

University of the Arctic: https://www.uarctic.org/member-profiles/united-states/32805/aleut-international-association

Arctic Council: https://arctic-council.org/en/about/permanent-participants/aia/