About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting:
- It is pivotal in the international community’s ongoing efforts to safeguard Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem and promote scientific research in the region.
- It is convened annually under the Antarctic Treaty System, these meetings serve as forums for Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties and other stakeholders to address Antarctica’s pressing environmental, scientific, and governance issues.
- What is the CEP?
- It was established under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991.
- The CEP advises the ATCM on environmental protection and conservation in Antarctica.
Key facts about the Antarctic Treaty
- It was signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
- It established Antarctica as a region dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection. Over the years, the Treaty has garnered widespread support, with 56 countries currently party to it.
- Provisions of the treaty
- Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only
- Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end… shall continue
- Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available
- India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983.
- It participates in the decision-making process along with other 28 Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty.
- India’s first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in 1983.
- At present, India operates two year-round research stations: Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012).
- The permanent research stations facilitate Indian Scientific Expeditions to Antarctica, which have been ongoing annually since 1981.
- In 2022, India enacted the Antarctic Act, reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
- The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat (ATS) serves as the administrative hub for the Antarctic Treaty System.
- ATS was established in 2004 and coordinates the ATCM and CEP meetings, reposits and disseminates information, and facilitates diplomatic communication, exchanges, and negotiations related to Antarctic governance and management.
Q1: What is the mandate of the Arctic Council?
It is to promote cooperation among Arctic states on common issues, particularly on sustainable development and environmental protection.
Source: India to formally convey to ATCM its plans to built new research station in Antarctica
Last updated on June, 2025
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