The Convention applies to all species of living organisms 
which occur south of the Antarctic Convergence and, among 
other things, provides for the establishment of a Scientific 
Committee, Commission, and Executive Secretariat to identify 
and take-such actions as may be necessary to conserve these 
species and the ecosystem of which they are a part. It will 
come into force thirty days following ratification by eight 
of the fifteen signatory nations, and the first meeting of 
the Commission will be held within three months following 
entry into force, provided the ratifying parties include at 
least two states involved in harvesting activities in the 
Convention Area, or within one year if the ratifying parties 
do not include at least two states engaged in harvesting 
activities in the Convention Area. The first meeting of the 
Scientific Committee will be held within three months following 
the first meeting of the Commission. 
The headquarters of the Commission will be in Hobart, 
Tasmania, Australia. To facilitate implementation of the 
Convention, the Depository Government (Australia) has indicated 
its intent to convene a meeting in August or September 1981 
for the purpose of considering steps which might be taken to 
facilitate the early operation of the Commission, Scientific 
Committee, and Executive Secretariat to be established by 
the Convention. Since decisions made at this meeting will 
profoundly affect the ultimate success or failure of the 
Convention itself, the Commission, in consultation with its 
Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals, intends 
to provide whatever assistance it can to help ensure the 
success of the meeting. 
Development of a Regime for the Conservation of Non-Living 
Resources 
As noted above, activities and events associated with 
the exploration for and development of non-living resources 
(particularly offshore oil and gas resources) could have 
direct and indirect effects on whales, seals, krill, and 
other components of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. The 
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties recognize the risks 
associated with the exploration for and development of non- 
living resources and, at the Xth Antarctic Treaty Consultative 
Meeting in 1979, Representatives of the Consultative Parties 
recommended, among other things, that their governments: 
facilitate the development of research programs which would 
contribute to an improved understanding of relevant aspects 
of the Antarctic and its environment; include the subject 
"Antarctic resources - the question of mineral exploration 
and exploitation" on the agenda for the XIth Antarctic 
