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Context:

• India is set to host the prestigious 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection in 2024.

Details:

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, through the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), will host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) in Kochi, Kerala.
• This is in line with India’s poise to facilitate constructive global dialogue on environmental stewardship, scientific collaboration, and cooperation in Antarctica.

Main agenda of the meetings:

• Key items on the 46th ATCM agenda include strategic planning for sustainable management of Antarctica and its resources; policy, legal, and institutional operations; biodiversity prospecting; inspections and exchange of information and data; research, collaboration, capacity building, and cooperation; addressing climate change impacts; development of tourism framework; and promoting awareness.
• The 26th CEP agenda focuses on Antarctic environment evaluation, impact assessment, management, and reporting; climate change response; area protection and management plans including marine spatial protection; and conservation of Antarctic biodiversity.

Significance:

• The ATCM and meetings of the CEP are pivotal in the international community's ongoing efforts to safeguard Antarctica's fragile ecosystem and promote scientific research in the region.
• 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.

Antarctic Treaty

• The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
• It was established to use Antarctica as a region dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection.
• 56 countries are currently party to it.
• The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat (ATS) serves as the administrative hub for the Antarctic Treaty System.
• Established in 2004, the ATS coordinates the ATCM and CEP meetings, reposits and disseminates information, and facilitates diplomatic communication, exchanges, and negotiations related to Antarctic governance and management.
• It also monitors compliance with Antarctic Treaty provisions and agreements and provides assistance and guidance to Antarctic Treaty Parties on treaty implementation and enforcement matters.

India’s association with the treaty:

• India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983.
• It participates in the decision-making process along with the other 28 Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty to date.

India’s Antarctic research efforts:

• 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. 
• India’s scientific and strategic endeavors in the polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctic), the Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean are under the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa.
• NCPOR is an esteemed autonomous institution under MoES, Government of India. MoES has set up a Host Country Secretariat at MoES HQ to successfully coordinate and organize the event.

Committee for Environmental Protection

• The CEP 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.

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2019293

PRACTICE QUESTION Q) Consider the following statements about the Antarctic Treaty: ●India is not a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty. ●Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting is held every year to facilitate constructive global dialogue on environmental stewardship, scientific collaboration, and cooperation in Antarctica. ●India’s scientific and strategic endeavors in the polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctic), are under Geological Survey of India. How many of the above statements is/are correct? A.Only one B.Only two C.All three D.None Ans: A