Arctic Council Working Group

Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum

In this section

Participants
Meetings
Web Portal
Polar ship certificates
Arctic State Information

In 2017, PAME established the Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum (Forum) in response to the adoption of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The aim of the Forum is to promote effective implementation of and compliance with the Polar Code amongst all those involved in or potentially affected by Arctic marine operations. The Forum also is intended to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among Forum participants on a broad arrange of Arctic shipping topics, including but not limited to; hydrography, search and rescue, communications, training, industry guidelines and ship equipment, systems and structure.

To to this, PAME has convened five meetings where relevants topics have been discussed. The annual meetings have been a succsess with broad participation from relevant experts.

Furthermore, PAME operated the Forum Web-Portal. The Forum maintains a publicly accessible Web portal with information specific to each chapter of the Polar Code, at www.arcticshippingforum.is.

Forum Participants include Arctic States, Permanent Participants and Arctic Council Observers as well as any widely-recognized professional organizations dedicated to improving safe and environmentally sound marine operations in the Arctic as demonstrated by expertise and experience in Arctic shipping and/or related issues.

Forum Operational Documents

THE POLAR CODE

IMO adopted the Polar Code by means of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

The Polar Code entered into force on 1 January 2017 and is is intended to cover the full range of shipping-related matters relevant to navigation in waters surrounding the two poles – ship design, construction and equipment; operational and training concerns; search and rescue; and, equally important, the protection of the unique environment and eco-systems of the polar regions.

The Polar Code applies to all ships operating in the "Polar Code" area:

See also: Shipping trends in the Polar Code area.

IMO Documents referencing the Forum

Various IMO documents have referenced the Forum over the years. This section lists them.

IMO Routing measures

The practice of following predetermined routes for shipping originated in 1898 and was adopted, for reasons of safety, by shipping companies operating passenger ships across the North Atlantic. Related provisions were subsequently incorporated into the original SOLAS Convention.

Traffic separation schemes and other ships' routeing systems have been established in most of the major congested, shipping areas of the world, and the number of collisions and groundings has often been dramatically reduced.

IMO's responsibility for ships' routeing is enshrined in SOLAS chapter V, which recognizes the Organization as the only international body for establishing such systems.

IMO Website for Routing Measure, including weather routeing measures.

IMO adopts first shipping routes into the Arctic - Bering Sea/Bering Strait (Gard)

POLAR SHIP CERTIFICATES

SOLAS ships operating in polar waters require a Polar Ship Certificate. This is a new statutory certificate issued by a vessel’s flag administration or its authorized representatives.

The Certificate attests that the ship complies with the ship safety requirements in Part I-A of the Polar Code.

To obtain a Polar Ship Certificate, the shipowner must:

  • conduct an operational (risk) assessment of the ship and its intended operations in polar waters;
  • prepare a Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM) specific to the ship, its arrangement and its intended operation in polar waters;
  • have the ship surveyed to verify its compliance with the relevant requirements of the Polar Code; and
  • apply to its flag administration or authorized representative for the Polar Ship Certificate.

Text from DNV-GL.

PAME has invited Arctic States and Observer States to submit to PAME information on Polar Ship Certificates that have been issued by or on behalf of their maritime administrations since their last submission of such information. This information is posted to this section in the Web-Portal.

FEATURE:

Shipping trends in the Arctic Polar Code area 2013-2023

Media References and Forum Articles

Publications and Presentations about the Forum

Media References

as of 8 November 2021
  • NewsPress, A look ahead: The Arctic Council in 2018 (Feb. 6, 2018) (Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials describing the Arctic Council’s goals for 2018, specifically noting the Forum’s effort to facilitate information exchange among the Forum's members)
Contact Forum Organizing Committee
Contact Forum Organizing Committee
PAME Secretariat

Ongoing Projects Related to the Polar Code

Please send information about ongoing projects to the PAME Secretariat (pame@pame.is).

Implementation of the Polar Code (PAME)

The adoption of the Polar Code was a first step towards ensuring safe and sustainable shipping in the Arctic. In order to ensure the success of the Polar Code there is a need to work towards facilitating, where applicable, consistent interpretation of the Code. This project build off a survey submitted during the 2019-2021 PAME Work Plan period. It will convene a correspondence group of Arctic State Polar Code subject matter experts to analyze the survey results, and consider developing a paper containing Polar Code interpretations for possible submission to the IMO.

More on the project here.

A presentation by Turid Stemre on the project is available here (from the 5th meeting of the Forum)

Project of thematic fact sheets on PAME's Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum (France)

France, as an Observer State to the Arctic Council, is coordinating a project on best practices for navigation in the Arctic. It will coordinate the creation and publication of short factsheets on the Polar Code written by each ice navigation training center volunteering to participate in this project. These sheets will be added to the "Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum" website.

The map to the right maps the training centers identified as a part of this project.

Related news

Spotlight on safe and environmentally sound Arctic shipping

Record attendance at the 5th annual meeting of the Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum
2021-11-18

Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum Sees Record Attendance with Huge Increase in Usage of its Web Portal

Today, the Arctic Council’s Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum (the Forum) concluded its fourth annual meeting.
2020-11-25

Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum Convenes For the First Time Under Iceland’s Arctic Council Chairmanship

Arctic Council’s Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum convenes for the first time in the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
2019-06-04
Lead Working Groups
PAME
Lead Arctic States & Permanent Participants
Canada
Norway
The United States
Start - End
2017 -