97 



Conscious of the special situation in the Antarctic arising from the 

 particular regime of the Antarctic Treaty and the Recommendations 

 adopted under it ; 



Recommend to their Governments that the subject "Antarctic Re- 

 sources — Effects of Mineral Exploration" be carefully studied and 

 included on the Agenda of the Eighth Consultative Meeting. 



VII— T 



ANTARCTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS 



The Representatives, 



Considering the contribution to the study of Antarctic radio propa- 

 gation and the ionosphere made at the SCAR Symposium on "Scien- 

 tific and Technical Programs Affecting Antarctic Telecommunica- 

 tions" held in Sandef jord, Norwayj in May 1972 and the Interim Re- 

 port of the SCAR Group of Specialists (Revised 25 August 1972) ; 



Recognising the need for improving, as far as practicable, the 

 transmission of information between stations within the Antarctic 

 Treaty Area and between those stations and the rest of the world ; 



Bearing in mind that difficulties may arise in Antarctic communi- 

 cations if new methods of transmission are accepted by Consultative 

 Parties without due regard to the principle of compatibility both be- 

 tween new systems and between new and existing systems ; 



Recommend to their Governments that : 



1. Their offices administering Antarctic programmes take into 

 account the information presented at the SCAR Symposium when 

 considering new means of improving Antarctic communications ; tech- 

 niques discussed at the Symposium and brought to the attention of 

 Representatives by SCAR and others including communications satel- 

 lites, VHF low power scatter systems, oblique ionospheric sounding, 

 coding and error correcting devices and the wider use of ionospheric 

 prediction services, especially with regard to short-term advice on 

 impending disturbances : 



2. Their offices administering Antarctic programmes be encouraged 

 to exchange information about changes contemplated in types of 

 equipment or methods in order to improve, where practicable, com- 

 patibility between Antarctic networks. 



VII— 8 



CO-OPERATION IN TRANSPORT 



The Representatives, 



Recognising that the relative inaccessability of many regions of the 

 Antarctic Treaty Area creates special transport problems ; 



Acknoioledging the benefits to be derived from international co- 

 operation in scientific investigations in that Area ; 

 Recommend to their Governments that : 



1. They accept the principle of using, where appropriate, com- 

 mon transport facilities by sea and by air for scientific and other 

 personnel proceeding with their equipment to and from Antarctic 

 stations ; 



