AGREEMENTS, CONVENTIONS, TREATIES & PROGRAMMES |
ANTARCTIC TREATY
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) |
DESCRIPTION & FOCUS AREA |
The main purpose of the Antarctica Treaty is to regulate relations among countries in Antarctica.
Included in the provisions of the Treaty are that Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only, to promote international co-operation,for the exchange information and the freedom of scientific investigation.
South Africa, through its membership to the Treaty, which included the ratification of the Conventions for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, remains party to any decision-making with regard to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. |
STATUS |
Signed: 1 December 1959
Ratified: 21 June 1960
South Africa is one of the original signatories to the Antarctic Treaty.
The Antarctic Treaties Act, 1996 (Act 60 of 1996) came into effect on 1 February 1997 and provides South Africa with a legal instrument to enforce the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and its various conventions.
An Antarctic Treaty consultative Meeting (ATCM) to be held annually with the next ATCM to be held from 3-14 September 2002 in Warsaw, Poland.
SCAR is held every two years with the next meeting scheduled for 25-29 July 2004 in Bremen, Germany.
COMNAP is held annually, with the next meeting to be held from 7-14 July 2003 in Brest, France. |
FOCAL POINT AT MCM AND FOREIGN COUNTRY |
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Antarctica and Islands
Mr Henry Valentine
(27 21) 405 9404 |
IMPLICATIONS & BENEFITS FOR SOUTH AFRICA |
The Antarctic Treaty is a model of international co-existence and co-operation. The conservation of the Antarctic environment and its ecosystem is of cardinal importance to South Africa, whose own environment is directly influenced by the Antarctic continent.
Scientific research conducted in Antarctica is of benefit to South Africa as it is to the other littoral states of the Southern Hemisphere and indeed to the entire world as results are analysed and utilised internationally.
The relationship within and between Antarctica’s atmospheric, biological and physical environments, and between these and those of the rest of the world, provide a continuing source of significant information for the understanding of the natural sciences of our planet. Meteorological information is fed daily into the world-wide meteorological data network. |
