Relevant aspects of international legal regulation of the Arctic shipping

The critical aspects of the international legal regulation of shipping in the Arctic discussed on the international Arctic agenda are analyzed. The authors examine the specifics of the Northern Sea Route legal status from the perspective of the leading role of the Arctic coastal states and the possibilities for countries to specify at the national and regional levels the universal norms of international maritime law at the national and regional levels. The authors devoted much attention to the study of the UNCLOS 1982, Art. 234, which gives coastal states the right to adopt national laws and regulations to control pollution of the marine environment in ice-covered areas within exclusive economic zones. The article is one of the leading international legal grounds for the Russia's establishment of control over the NSR shipping. The Polar Code, entered into force in 2017, is examined separately. The article also presents expert opinions on navigation forecasts in the Arctic region.