Chapter IV — International 



ing, whaling, fisheries, non-living resource explora- 

 tion and development, and related activities in the 

 Southern Ocean. Since 1978, Marine Mammal 

 Commission representatives have served as scientific 

 advisors on most U.S. delegations to regular Antarctic 

 Treaty Consultative Meetings, Special Consultative 

 Meetings held to negotiate international agreements 

 regarding Antarctica, and the annual meetings of the 

 Commission and the Scientific Committee established 

 by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources (see below). 



In 1991, Commission representatives participated 

 in interagency meetings to develop U.S. positions for 

 the Xlth Special Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meet- 

 ing, the XVIth regular Antarctic Treaty Consultative 

 Meeting, and the meetings of the Commission and 

 Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources. In addition. Commission 

 representatives served on the U.S. delegations to the 

 XVIth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the 

 1991 meeting of the Scientific Committee for the 

 Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 



Xlth Special Antarctic Treaty 

 Consultative Meeting 



As noted in the Commission's previous Annual 

 Report, conclusion in June 1988 of the Convention on 

 the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activi- 

 ties (CRAMRA) generated much controversy. In re- 

 sponse, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties 

 agreed, at the XVth Consultative Meeting held in 

 Paris in October 1989, that a Special Consultative 

 Meeting should be held in 1990 to consider various 

 proposals for protection of the Antarctic environment. 

 The first session of this, the Xlth Special Antarctic 

 Treaty Consultative Meeting, was held in Vina del 

 Mar, Chile, from 19 November to 6 December 1990. 

 Subsequent sessions were held in Madrid, Spain, on 

 22-30 April, 17-22 June, and 3-4 October 1991. 



The negotiating session in Vina del Mar, Chile, 

 produced a draft protocol, and agreement that a 

 second session would be held in Madrid, Spain, in 

 April 1991 to finalize a draft agreement for consider- 

 ation and adoption by the Consultative Parties. The 

 Marine Mammal Commission, in consultation with its 



Committee of Scientific Advisors, reviewed and, on 

 8 March 1991, provided comments to the Department 

 of State on the draft agreement. Additional comments 

 were provided to the Department of State by letter of 

 25 March 1991. 



The conmients provided by the Commission and 

 others on the draft protocol were used to develop U.S. 

 positions for the three negotiating sessions held in 

 Madrid. These sessions led to the development of the 

 Protocol, which was concluded on 4 October 1991. 

 The Protocol will enter into force 30 days following 

 deposit of instruments of ratification, acceptance, 

 approval or accession by all 26 of the states which 

 were Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties on 4 

 October 1991, when the Protocol on Environmental 

 Protection was adopted.' 



The purpose of the Protocol is to improve the 

 effectiveness of the Antarctic Treaty as a mechanism 

 for protecting the Antarctic environment and for 

 ensuring that the Antarctic does not become the scene 

 or object of international discord. It designates 

 Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and 

 science, and will establish general governing princi- 

 ples and legally binding obligations to protect the 

 Antarctic environment. 



The Protocol prohibits any activities relating to 

 mineral resource exploration and development, and 

 specifies that this prohibition cannot be lifted for at 

 least fifty years following entry into force of the 

 Protocol and that a legally binding regime to govern 

 mineral resource activities must be in place before the 

 prohibition can be lifted. 



The Protocol includes five annexes setting forth 

 specific obligations and requirements with respect to: 

 (1) environmental impact assessment; (2) conservation 

 of native fauna and flora; (3) waste disposal and waste 

 management; (4) prevention of marine pollution; and 

 (5) special area protection and management. 



The Protocol establishes a Committee on Environ- 

 mental Protection to provide advice to the Antarctic 

 Treaty Consultative Meetings on steps needed to 

 effectively implement and meet the objectives of the 

 Protocol. It requires that each Party be prepared to 

 respond promptly and effectively to environmental 



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