ABSTRACT
The Arctic Council is a high-level international intergovernmental forum established by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996. As such, the Council is not an international organisation based on a legally binding instrument, such as a treaty. It does not have legal personality of an international organisation under international law that would allow it to legislate or make treaties with other subjects of international law. Nevertheless, the Council has been contributing to development of international law as it relates to the Arctic. By looking at the “law-making” activities of the Council, this chapter explores how they have shaped the Council’s contribution to international law in the Arctic.
