Ilker Basaran

As the most proactive international body in the region, the Arctic Council aims to help provide safe, secure, environmentally sound, and sustainable shipping in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Council, as a soft law institution does not have authority to adopt legally binding resolutions for shipping – this capacity primarily rests with the International Maritime Organization (hereinafter IMO) –, however, the Council has an extraordinary decision shaping function, which it uses through strong cooperation. The Arctic Council’s cooperation with the IMO has already proved itself to be fruitful, however, there is a long list of issues that require attention. The Arctic Council’s cooperative approach therefore warrants an investigation and further analysis in order to understand the future direction of the Arctic Council’s impact on Arctic shipping.

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