Meeting Summary

The inaugural meeting of the Arctic Shipping Best Practices Information Forum was an important milestone in identifying and gathering information to support safe and environmentally responsible Arctic shipping. The Forum is a demonstration of what can be achieved when industry, Governments, International Regulators, the Research Community, the indigenous community, and international organizations
work together (encouraging public –private partnership).

When Director Mahapatra of the IMO kindly addressed the Forum he indicated that the Forum is a template to be used elsewhere in the world. Overall the inaugural meeting of the Forum was a Positive meeting and everyone left with a great sense of purpose. The next meeting is likely to take place in 2018, back to back with an IMO MEPC72 in April or MSC99 in May in London, the date to be fixed in the future.

Opening and Introduction

The Chair, Dr. Anita Mäkinen of Finland opened the Forum, thanking everyone for their presence, and those who could not be there, for their interest, and everyone who had submitted position papers to assist the Forum. She also expressed, on behalf of the Forum, her gratitude and appreciation to Lloyd’s Register in conjunction with Lloyd’s of London for hosting the Forum. The Arctic Council PAME WG established the Arctic Shipping Best Practices Information Forum to support and promote effective implementation of the IMO Polar Code. The establishment of the Forum is noted with appreciation in the Fairbanks Arctic Council Ministerial Declaration (2017).

The Arctic Council Fairbanks Ministerial Declaration welcomes the entry into force of the Polar Code to ensure safe and environmentally sound shipping in the harsh Arctic marine environment, and
encourages continued engagement by Arctic States, including at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to facilitate harmonized implementation and enforcement of the Polar Code. The Ministerial Declaration also notes the discussions within the International Maritime Organization on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil by ships in Arctic waters and the assessment of associated risks, and decide to provide expertise and information developed through the ongoing work of the Arctic Council for consideration by those involved in Arctic shipping matters, including at the International Maritime Organization.

Dr. Mäkinen, the Chair, reminded that Mr. Kitack Lim, the Secretary General of IMO joined the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officers meeting this spring in USA and expressed his wish to enhance the collaboration between IMO and the Arctic Council, especially in the implementation of the Polar Code. And that Mr Lim´s wish was taken seriously and is now reflected in the Fairbanks Ministerial Declaration.

Finland is chairing the Arctic Council from 2017-2019 and accordingly the Chair shared the video clip on the Finland´s Arctic Council Chairmanship and its program. Finland has chosen two broad frameworks that should be taken into account in all activities: climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals or Agenda 2030 that the United Nations adopted in 2015. On climate change, the Paris agreement from 2015 defines the present level of ambition. On the Sustainable Development Goals, the international community has established consensus, and commitments are being worked out, e.g. in the UN´s Ocean Conference in New York in June 2017.

Finland has also identified four priority areas. They are environmental protection, connectivity, meteorological cooperation and education. Additionally, enhancement of maritime safety to protect
the marine environment in Arctic waters is one of the Finland´s priorities in the shipping sector during its Arctic Council Chairmanship.

After the Chair’s opening address, Ms. Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland, and Ms. Monica Maeland, Minister of Trade and Industry of Norway, addressed the Forum
by video message underlining the importance of the Forum for the implementation of the Polar Code.

Mr. Ashok Mahapatra, Director of the Maritime Safety Division of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), gave an address emphasizing the importance of compiling information to assist in effective implementation of and compliance with the Polar Code. He indicated that the Forum is a template to be used elsewhere in the world and was pleased that the Arctic Council States under the leadership of Finland would present the concept to IMO Maritime Safety Committee in its 98 Session (MSC98) on the 15th June 2017.

The Forum was attended by Arctic Council members, including Arctic States, Permanent Participants and Observers, and also by a wide spectrum of stakeholders with an interest in Arctic shipping. Altogether over 50 participants were in attendance. Mr. Brad Groves of Australia, Chair of the IMO MSC-committee also attended.

Industry has played a key role in shaping the Forum, with significant input from maritime organizations and insurers, including Lloyd’s of London, and Lloyd’s Register. Many other significant industry representative bodies were present including e.g. ICS, and national Shipowners´ Associations, and other representative bodies such as IALA, the Nautical Institute and OCIMF.

Furthermore, the Forum is collaborating with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.

Presentations and Discussions
The Arctic Council PAME WG has established the Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum to support effective implementation of the Polar Code by making publicly available at a web portal hyperlinks to information relevant to all those involved in safe and environmentally sound Arctic shipping, including vessels owners/operators, regulators, classification societies, marine insurers, and indigenous and local communities.

In addition to Position Papers submitted, presentations were made by the following:
1. Focus: Arctic States: Kingdom of Denmark - Ms. Pernille Palmelund Sorensen Head of Section Maritime Regulation and Legal Affairs, Danish Maritime Authority;
2. Focus: Permanent Participants / Indigenous Peoples: Ms. Nicole Kanayurak, (ICC Representative to PAME);
3. Focus: Arctic Council Observers: Korea - Ms. Soojin Hwang, senior researcher KMI. SMART Navigation; and
4. Focus: Industry: Association of Arctic Cruise Expedition Operators - Mr Ilja Leo Lang, Office Manager Denmark.

All the speakers welcomed the development of the Forum to help them to achieve their objectives. Ms. Pernille Palmelund Sorensen of Denmark informed that gaps in the application of the Polar Code are recognized in Denmark and there are concerns that some vessels may not be surveyed until 2020. In Denmark new pilotage and navigation rules and training have been introduced that go beyond the Polar Code in an attempt to preserve developed experience and knowledge amongst crew and navigators.

Representative of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Ms. Nicole Kanayurak emphasized the need that the projects are built with a bottom up approach, in line with the Forum´s ethos, from local to national and ultimately at the international level. According to Ms. Kanayurak, ICC will engage in whatever way it can to contribute appropriate information. Infrastructure development is important to ensure food security in the region, and communications in the form of broadband access in the next step in that development.

Ms. Soojin Hwang, on behalf of the observer state South Korea, highlighted the development of the advanced eNav classification system, amalgamating ECDIS and ENL systems, which provides a framework to collect and display hazard information that could be incorporated for Polar use. Mr. Ilja Leo Lang as an industry representative of AECO informed that they have organized joint Public/Private & Industry SAR training exercises producing valuable knowledge sharing opportunities. AECO will contribute all pertinent information to assist the Forum website.

General discussion

The Forum discussed its aims to create and sustain a culture in which Best Practice is welcomed and encouraged as a fundamental goal by providing information on a web portal, hosted by the PAME Secretariat, that will assist in that process for the effective implementation of the Polar Code.

The Forum discussed the Forum’s Terms of Reference at length, especially on what the Forum should focus on. The Forum concluded that best approach was to align the information required
with the Polar Code requirements.

The Polar Code focuses/requires inputs of information depending on what operation is taking place, and the Forum seeks to assist in identifying recognized sources of information. These requirements
are set out in the Terms of Reference of the Forum. The conclusion was that the Forum does not provide regulatory information nor does it seek to develop or initiate Best Practice Procedures from within. The Forum is a body to collect and disseminate information that has proven pertinent to or accepted by the Forum as best practice is made available for users to apply at their own discretion.

It was agreed that it is up to each operator and the various decision makers in the process (Operators, Flag States, Insurers, Financial Institutions, and Port State Control) to determine whether the operation complies with the Polar Code. It is not the Forum’s remit to determine what Best Practice is in operations, but it is the Forum’s aim to help identify correct information that can be relied upon in that process to assist stakeholders.

The basic layout of the web portal will feature distinct sections. The precise layout is to be finalised with feedback from Forum’s stakeholders/participants, which were encouraged to work with their
respective networks to submit relevant information for posting on the Forum’s web portal.

It was suggested that the web portal layout follows the components as identified in the IMO Guidelines for Voyage planning (Resolution A.893 (21) adopted on 25 November 1999) and as identified in Paragraph 14 of the Forum’s Terms of Reference. Information to be made available on the web portal will thus include, but is not limited to:

• Hydrography
• Meteorology
• Ice Data
• Crew Training
• Search & Rescue
• Communication Requirements
• Industry Guidelines
• Traditional & Local Knowledge
• Ecological Knowledge
• Operational Understanding
• Ship Equipment, Systems & Structure
• Waste Management

The information provided on the web portal is provided as a guidance i.e. as examples of the best information that the Forum’s stakeholders have successfully applied / suggested in Arctic/ Polar operations. The Forum does not recommend any individual item of information or procedure that may be used.Additionally to the Terms of Reference, also the Draft Methods of Operation for Forum’s Stakeholders, Eligibility Criteria (for information to be posted), Communication and Outreach Strategy were discussed in detail.

After long and constructive discussions, consensus reached by the Forum on the following issues:

A. APPROACH OF IDENTIFYING AND COLLECTING INFORMATION
Sources of data and methods of application are fundamental to safe and sustainable maritime operations. It must be from a recognized source and the Forum is developing guidelines for verifying the information. It is the responsibility of Members of the Forum to identify relevant information.

B. TYPES OF INFORMATION
The Forum aims to point out sources of pertinent information that could potentially be used to improve ships performance in Arctic waters. The consensus on the types of information required is that there is a direct link to the Polar Code requirements i.e. the Forum aims to collect authoritative information that is strictly relevant in the implementation of and incompliance with the Polar Code.

The meeting participants agreed that the Terms of Reference, Draft Rules of Procedure, and Eligibility Criteria would be revised based on the discussions and circulated to stakeholders/participants for comments.