MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1991 



State. A Commission representative participated in 

 the Environmental Protection Agency's workshop. 



As noted earlier, a Meeting of Experts is to be 

 held in June 1992 to consider and provide advice on 

 environmental monitoring programs needed to give 

 effect to the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty Proto- 

 col on Environmental Protection concluded in October 

 1991. The National Science Foundation is expected 

 to constitute and hold a meeting of an ad hoc working 

 group early in 1992 to develop a discussion paper that 

 can be circulated in advance to facilitate the work of 

 the June 1992 Group of Experts meeting. The Com- 

 mission, in consultation with its Committee of Scien- 

 tific Advisors, will work with the Foundation and 

 other interested agencies to assist in developing 

 background information and preparing sound U.S. 

 positions for these meetings. 



Continuing International Interest in Antarctica 



As noted in the Commission's previous Armual 

 Reports, international interest in Antarctica has in- 

 creased in recent years. Since the Antarctic Treaty 

 entered into force in 1961, 28 additional nations have 

 acceded to it, bringing the total number of Parties to 

 40. Fourteen of the acceding states have achieved 

 consultative status by establishing and maintaining 

 research programs in the Antarctic, making a total of 

 26 Parties eligible to participate in making decisions 

 under the Antarctic Treaty. 



In 1983, Malaysia raised the "Question of Antarcti- 

 ca" in the United Nations. The subject has been 

 raised at each session of the General Assembly since 

 then, including the 46th session in 1991. At the 46th 

 session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution 

 which, among other things, while welcoming the 

 signing of the Protocol on Environmental Protection, 

 expressed disappointment that all members of the 

 United Nations were not invited to participate in the 

 negotiations. It also expressed regret that the Secre- 

 tary General or his representative has not been invited 

 to attend the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. 

 It calls upon the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties 

 to increase the level of cooperation and collaboration 

 regarding research in Antarctica with a view to 

 reducing the number of scientific stations in Antarcti- 

 ca. 



As noted in its previous Annual Reports, the 

 Marine Mammal Commission believes that the Ant- 

 arctic Treaty and the related agreements that form the 

 Antarctic Treaty System provide the necessary basis 

 and best means for protecting and conserving marine 

 mammals and their habitat in the Southern Ocean. In 

 1992, the Commission will continue to work with the 

 Department of State, the National Science Foundation, 

 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency, and other agencies and 

 organizations to help implement the Antarctic Treaty, 

 the recentiy concluded Protocol on Environmental 

 Protection, the Convention for the Conservation of 

 Antarctic Seals, and the Convention for the Conserva- 

 tion of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 



Conyention for the Protection 



and Development of the 



Marine Environment of the 



Wider Caribbean Region 



(Cartagena Convention) 



The United Nations Enviroimient Program has 

 developed and now sponsors 11 Regional Seas Pro- 

 grams around the world. The purpose of these 

 programs is to establish a framework for international 

 cooperation among nations bordering a conunon body 

 of water. Each program addresses marine environ- 

 mental protection and development issues of mutual 

 concern within the region. One of the 11 programs 

 covers the Wider Caribbean Region, which includes 

 the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the 

 adjacent Atlantic Ocean. 



Each Regional Seas Program is guided by an action 

 plan that outlines needed regional environmental 

 projects (e.g., watershed management, oil spill 

 contingency planning, and protection of endangered 

 and threatenol species). The commitments of national 

 governments party to the program are formalized by 

 international convention. Among other things, the 

 conventions set forth the scope, procedures, and 

 responsibilities of parties. For special needs, agreed 

 measures may be further elaborated by protocols 

 adopted to expand or modify the conventions. 



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