"Important for us, global community": Union Minister Kiren Rijiju after inaugurating Antarctic treaty consultative meeting in Kochi

Kochi (Kerala) [India], May 21 : Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Kochi on Tuesday and said that Antarctica is a beautiful continent but is equally fragile, which is why one has to be very careful about its conservation and protection.

Saying that the agenda is mainly about climate change, Rijiju stated that the "Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Kochi is very important for us and for the global community."

"In this meeting, very important decisions are going to be taken. India is going to have a new enhanced station and regulated tourism will be enhanced in Antarctica. It is a very beautiful continent but is fragile, so we have to be very careful about its conservation and protection...This is a ten-day-long conference..." Rijiju told ANI.

"The agenda is mainly about climate change, about studies, and about how the member countries are to regulate their activities there, all important things are to be reviewed," the Union Minister said.

"The situation changes from time to time. We have to regulate the governance also..." he added.

The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was inaugurated by Kiren Rijju, Union Minister, Ministry of Earth Science.

"The Antarctic Treaty, highlights the international commitment to preserving Antarctica's environmental, scientific & cultural values. Protecting Antarctica is not only a matter of environmental conservation but also a shared responsibility for the well-being of present & future generations," Rijiju said at the event.

The Antarctic Treaty, highlights the international commitment to preserving Antarctica's environmental, scientific & cultural values. Protecting Antarctica is not only a matter of environmental conservation but also a shared responsibility for the well-being of present & future… pic.twitter.com/Z6UP9fT9Oa— Office of Kiren Rijiju (@RijijuOffice) May 21, 2024

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran said, "This Antarctic Treaty meeting has become important year by year. Antarctica is mostly for peace and science. But now it is become geo-political...This treaty meeting is basically Antarctic Parliament."

Dr Thamban Meloth, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research said that India has been part of Antarctica for more than four decades now and the nation has earned a name in the international arena and scientific matters.

"So we are party to various scientific & other forums...Antarctica has a huge amount of ice sheets which is melting and it is increasing the sea level. Some places in Kerala as well can be impacted..." he told ANI.

India is set to play a pivotal role in facilitating the first-ever focused discussions on regulating tourism in Antarctica at the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP).

These Meetings are organized by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research ( NCOPR), Goa, and the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat in Kochi, Kerala, and have 350 delegates from 40 countries.

The ATCM and CEP are high-level global annual meetings conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty, a multilateral agreement of 56 Contracting Parties signed in 1959.

During these meetings, member countries of the Antarctic Treaty discuss issues pertaining to the science, policy, governance, management, preservation and protection of Antarctica.

India has been a consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983. With the other 28 Consultative Parties, India has a crucial role in governing Antarctica's scientific exploration and environmental protection.

It has the right to propose and vote on decisions and resolutions made during the ATCM in matters of administration, scientific research, environmental protection, and logistical cooperation.

Further, it can establish research stations, conduct scientific programmes and logistic operations, enforce environmental regulations and access scientific data and research findings shared by Antarctic Treaty members.

The Contracting and Consultative Parties are responsible for compliance with the Antarctic Treaty, environment stewardship, promoting scientific research, and maintaining Antarctica as a zone of peace, free from military activity and territorial claims. The ATCM is administered through the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat headquartered in Argentina.

India, being a committed member of the Antarctic Treaty System, recognises the pressing need to address the growing tourism activities in Antarctica and their potential impact on the continent's fragile environment, said the Ministry of Earth Sciences press release.

With the number of tourists visiting Antarctica increasing significantly over the past few years, tourism has become a front-burner issue, making it crucial that comprehensive regulations be framed to ensure the sustainable and responsible exploration of this unique and pristine region.

India hosted the 10th SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) conference themed 'Antarctica in a Changing World' for the first time in 2022 and contributed to the International Polar Year celebrations.There have been 11 Indian expeditions to the Southern Ocean and one each to the Wedell Sea and South Pole.

In 2007, India hosted the 30th ATCM in New Delhi, underscoring its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty System. India also collaborated with Norway and the UK to study the Antarctic ice shelf and ice rise, and drill ice cores for climate studies.

India will also provide a platform to discuss the possible induction of Canada and Belarus as consultative parties to the Antarctic Treaty System. Canada and Belarus have been signatories to the Antarctic Treaty System since 1988 and 2006, respectively.

India's involvement in facilitating discussions for the induction of new consultative parties aligns with its broader objectives of promoting scientific research and international cooperation in Antarctica.

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