IASC Council Member Henry Burgess represented IASC at the Arctic Marine Shipping Best Practice Information Forum on 5-6 June 2017 at the Lloyd's Register Office in London, England.
The Forum has been established “to help raise awareness and to promote the effective implementation of the International Maritime Organization's International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), a mandatory international framework that increases the safety of ship operations and mitigate the impact on the people and the vulnerable environment in Polar waters.”
“Convened under the auspices of the Arctic Council's Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), the Forum aims to make publicly available, at a single web portal, information to support effective implementation of the Polar Code.”
The first meeting of the Forum was largely centered around governance and organization of the Forum. Without committing IASC to a particular course of action, Burgess expressed confidence that IASC would support the work of the Forum, noting the increasing importance that IASC has placed on supporting the effective delivery of knowledge into policy action, drawing out connections with the knowledge and expertise within the Working Groups, and the ability to help identify and fill, knowledge gaps.
Finland’s Anita Makinen, the Forum Chair said, “The input of so many stakeholders in the Forum demonstrates the importance of working in a collaborative approach to support the effective implementation of international regulations.”
A full press release is available via the PAME website.
If you have further questions about IASC and the Forum or suggestions for how IASC should support the Forum, please contact Henry Burgess and the IASC Executive Secretary.