UNDRIP rights to guide the governance of the Northern Low-impact Shipping Corridors initiative

Abstract

Canada's governance of Arctic shipping activities is characterized by a collaborative framework that involves various stakeholders, including different governments and departments at various levels, as well as non-governmental stakeholders, such as industry partners, Indigenous organizations, and community members. Especially with Canada’s commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the need to consider how Inuit rights can guide Arctic shipping governance has become paramount. The Northern Low-Impact Shipping Corridors initiative is Canada’s comprehensive governance initiative for Arctic shipping activities, that considers the need to engage Inuit. However, few studies have focused on how Inuit rights, which are affirmed in the UNDRIP, can reshape, and guide the development and governance of the Corridors initiative. The objective of this article is to fill this knowledge gap, regarding the integration of Inuit rights into Arctic shipping governance. It starts with an overview of the impacts of Arctic shipping on Inuit communities, followed by an analysis of interactions between UNDRIP rights and shipping governance. The article draws upon existing literature on UNDRIP and Arctic shipping to identify several critical UNDRIP rights that are applicable to Arctic shipping governance. Using the Corridors initiative as a case study, this article examines the potential implications of several UNDRIP rights in terms of Inuit participation in decision-making and the governance of the corridors.