India to host 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting in Kochi, Kerala.
The meeting reflects India’s growing role as a responsible global stakeholder in efforts to preserve Antarctica.
About Antarctic Treaty
Signed: In 1959 by 12 countries and came into effect in the mid-1960s.
Objective: Demilitarization and peaceful use of Antarctica, Freedom of scientific cooperation, and environmental protection. Page No.:- 38 Current Affairs –June, 2024
Member Nations: Initially treaty was signed by twelve countries, and currently has 56 parties.
India became a party to the Treaty in 1983. Recently, India enacted the Indian Antarctic Act, 2022 reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
Secretariat headquarters: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in Madrid on October 4, 1991, and entered into force in 1998. It designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”.
The Environmental Protocol is best known for its ban on commercial mining in Antarctica.
To mark its 25th anniversary in 2016, all Parties underlined their commitment to the mining ban at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in May 2016
