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.