Conferences to mark Antarctic treaty's 40th anniversary

Antarctic non-government activity news, 6 June 2001

Two conferences, one in Australia later this month, and the other in the U.K. in mid-November, have been organised to mark the 40th anniversary of the entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty on 23 June 1961. The organisers of each gathering plan to look at the Treaty's achievements, current workings, and its future.

The Institute of Antarctic and Ocean Studies (IASOS) of the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia, is to hold a one-day conference titled The Antarctic: Past, Present and Future on 22 June 2001. Organisers say that the conference will provide an opportunity to examine the significance of the Antarctic Treaty and its related instruments in the management of the Antarctic, and to discuss present and future issues confronting Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Enquires about the meeting should be directed to Dr Julia Green at Julia.Green@utas.edu.au.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in association with the Fridjof Nansen Institute of Norway and with the support of the US Tinker Foundation, is to hold a four-day conference from 12-16 November entitled 40 Years On: The Antarctic Treaty System in the 21st Century. It is understood that the conference will involve expert speakers and selected participants and is to be held at the FCO's conference centre at Wilton Park in Southern England. Matters to be examined are to include existing regulatory mechanisms, the interface with other global organisations, internal mechanisms, and the strength and weaknesses of the present system.