46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting:
The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environment Protection (CEP) will be held in Kochi from May 20-30.
- Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting is pivotal in the international community’s ongoing efforts to safeguard Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem and promote scientific research in the region.
- It is convened annually under the Antarctic Treaty System, these meetings serve as forums for Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties and other stakeholders to address Antarctica’s pressing environmental, scientific, and governance issues.
- CEP was established under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991.
- The CEP advises the ATCM on environmental protection and conservation in Antarctica.
- Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
- It established Antarctica as a region dedicated to peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection. Over the years, the Treaty has garnered widespread support, with 56 countries currently party to it.
