ALE owner, Mike Sharp, will be going to the upcoming 37th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XXXVII) being held in Brasilia. Mike will attend as an Invited Expert on land-based activities on behalf of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (www.iaato.org). He will be an active participant in the “Tourism” and the “Operations and Safety” Working Groups at the ATCM and at the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP).
About the ATCM
The ATCM meets annually and is where delegates from countries that have signed the Antarctic Treaty exchange information and make decisions in order to promote the principles and objectives of the Treaty and of the Environemtal Protocol.
The meeting consists of representatives of:
- 29 Consultative Parties – countries that have active research programs
- 21 non-Consultative Parties – countries that have an interest in Antarctica but do not undertake research there.
- Observers – currently the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
- Invited Experts – such as the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and several others.
ATCMÂ XXXVII at Brasilia
ATCM XXXVII will advance Antarctic affairs, including the important issue of protection of the Antarctic environment. Most of the work is done by the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) and by the various Working Groups that report and make recommendations at plenary sessions. Outcomes of Treaty meetings are adopted by consensus of the Consultative Parties, who are the only participants that can take part in decision-making, but other delegates may contribute to discussions.
Consultative Parties host ATCMs in alphabetical order of their country names in English. This will be the second time that Brazil hosts the meeting, having organised ATCM XIV at Rio de Janeiro in 1987. Brazil acceded to the Antarctic Treaty in 1975 and, since 1982, has developed a program of scientific research in Antarctica. It was accepted as a Consultative Party in 1983.
ALE Supports the Brazilian Antarctic Program
ALE provides logistic support for the Brazilian Antarctic Program, including the installation of Brazil’s second scientific station, Criosfera I and field support for geological and atmospheric studies.
More about ALE’s support of the Brazilian Antarctic Program:
www.adventure-network.com/news/criosfera-i-landmark-achievement
www.adventure-network.com/news/science-updates
www.adventure-network.com/non-commercial-and-government-support
More about the Antarctic Treaty:
www.adventure-network.com/antarctic-treaty