Danish Meet Looks at Arctic Shipping Issues

 

The world has again turned its attention to the Arctic, this time mainly because of the climate effects in the Arctic, the economic potential of the region, and the geopolitical implications of changes in the Arctic.

 

The European Maritime Law Organisation, the Royal Danish Naval Academy and the Danish law firm Gorrissen Federspiel host a two-day conference to discuss the many legal and operational issues related to Arctic shipping. 

 

The conference will deal with a broad range of topics from search & rescue, environmental regulation to the drawing of new boundaries, and a number of international experts will give their views on the developments in the Arctic.

 

 New opportunities and new challenges: “The political, economic and social development is already underway and the future of the Arctic will be different from what we see today. The changes in the Arctic have many implications for shipping," says says Jacob Skude Rasmussen, maritime lawyer and partner in the Danish law firm Gorrissen Federspiel.

 

He said that the melting of sea ice allows for new shipping routes through the Northeast and the Northwest Passage and the Arctic waters will experience a significant increase in maritime traffic in the coming years. 

 

"The Arctic coastal States are making territorial claims over the Arctic Ocean and new boundaries are likely to be created. With new opportunities, come new challenges,” he added.

 

He will be the moderator of one of the seminar’s topics concerning natural resources and boundaries in the Arctic focusing on claims made by the Coastal States, international law on drawing of boundaries and the role of the United Nations.