4. Arctic

Regional initiatives relevant to environmental protection occurred mainly through the Arctic Council. The council’s tenth ministerial meeting was held in May at Fairbanks, Alaska, and the council’s six working groups continued their cooperative efforts. Documentation from the ministerial meeting and working groups may be found at the council’s website (). Other international activities important for the Arctic took place in other venues. Those activities included conclusion of a new fisheries agreement for the central Arctic Ocean; discussions and initiatives within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on possible further Arctic shipping measures; and environmental cooperation within the Barents Euro-Arctic Council framework. The Fairbanks Declaration was the key political document emanating from the tenth ministerial meeting held on the 11 May. Under the theme of Arctic Ocean safety, security and stewardship, the declaration welcomed entry into force of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) and noted with appreciation the establishment of the Arctic Shipping Best Practices Information Forum to promote implementation of the code. Ministers also noted the entry into force of the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic and encouraged additional work to help implement the Framework for a Pan-Arctic Network of Marine Protected Areas. Ministers voiced concerns over the vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems to the impacts of ocean acidity and the increasing accumulation of marine debris and microplastics in the Arctic. They decided to continue studying the effects of ocean acidification on the Arctic and to assess the scope of the marine debris problem on the Arctic and to contribute to its prevention and reduction.