Cooperation in the Arctic region has been fruitful in the past few decades, generating several multilateral organizations and forums covering the entire circumpolar North. In many cases, forums were created to serve as catalysts, bringing together decision-makers from different backgrounds in a conference setting to promote dialogue and the exchange of ideas. To enquire about the possibility of creating a forum of cooperation in the eastern North American Arctic, a total of five governmental officials from Canada, Denmark, Nunavut, Québec and Greenland, and one elected representative from Greenland were interviewed with the same set of five questions. The governmental officials were in senior positions at the main department focusing on foreign affairs in their respective jurisdictions. Most thought that a new forum of cooperation in the region would be highly desirable, on the grounds of shared interests, common identity and cultural affinities. Consensual positions were also found regarding the central role that civil society would play in a new cooperative venue and on sub-national governments assuming a leading role to spearhead the initiative. Following these interviews, it is difficult to pinpoint one government that could alone spearhead this new forum of cooperation. However, the governments of Nunavut and Greenland were the most enthusiastic about such a new regional forum. Given Greenland’s drive to complete independence, this type of forum could prove to be a statement of diplomatic motivation and ambition, tilting toward proto-diplomacy and an international policy that prepares the terrain for complete autonomy.

北极地区的合作在过去几十年里卓有成效，产生了多个覆盖整个北极圈的多边组织和论坛。在许多情况下，论坛的创建起到了催化剂的作用，将来自不同背景的决策者聚集在会议环境中，以促进对话和思想交流。为了询问在北美北极东部建立合作论坛的可能性，共有五名来自加拿大、丹麦、努纳武特、魁北克和格陵兰的政府官员以及一名来自格陵兰的民选代表接受了同一套五个问题的采访. 政府官员在各自管辖范围内的主要外交部门担任高级职务。大多数人认为，基于共同利益、共同身份和文化相似性，在该地区建立一个新的合作论坛是非常可取的。在民间社会将在新的合作场所发挥核心作用以及地方政府发挥主导作用带头倡议方面，也达成了一致的立场。在这些访谈之后，很难确定哪个政府可以单独领导这个新的合作论坛。然而，努纳武特和格陵兰的政府对这样一个新的区域论坛最为热情。考虑到格陵兰追求完全独立的动力，这种类型的论坛可能被证明是一种外交动机和野心的声明，倾向于原始外交和为完全自治做好准备的国际政策。