India to host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

India will host the  46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) from May 20 to 30, 2024, in Kochi, Kerala. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Union Ministry of Earth Science, will host the meeting. Over 350 delegates from more than 60 countries are expected to attend the 46th ATCM and 26th CEP meetings.

About the Meeting 

The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting is a forum where the  Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties and other stakeholders meet to discuss the environmental, scientific, and governance issues affecting Antarctica.

The agenda of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting includes strategic planning for sustainable management of Antarctica and its resources; policy, legal, and institutional operations; inspections and exchange of information and data; biodiversity prospecting; research, collaboration, capacity building and cooperation; addressing climate change impacts; development of tourism framework; and promoting awareness.

The 26th Committee for Environmental Protection will focus on Antarctic environment evaluation, impact assessment, climate change response, area protection and management plans, management, and reporting, including marine spatial protection and conservation of Antarctic biodiversity.

Antarctic Treaty  

• The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 in Washington, D.C., by 12 countries and came into force in 1961. At present, 56 countries have signed the Antarctic Treaty,
• The Antarctic Treaty made Antarctica a non-military Zone. It was declared a zone of peace dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection. 
• The Committee for Environmental Protection was established under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991. The Committee for Environmental Protection advises the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting on environmental protection and conservation in Antarctica.
• The permanent secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty is in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

India And Antarctica

• India signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983. India enacted the Antarctic Act in 2022. 
• India started its scientific expedition to Antarctica in 1981 to carry out research in the area.
• The government of India established the first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, in 1983 to facilitate research expeditions in the area.
• At present, India operates two research stations: Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012). 

National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) 

• The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research is the nodal body for conducting research in the polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctic), the Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean. 
• The Center is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India.
• Headquarters: Vasco Da Gama, Goa.