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SCAR Bulletin No 136, January 2000

Decision 2 (1999)

Guidelines for Antarctic Shipping and Related Activities

The Representatives,

Recalling Resolution 3 (1998) on the draft Polar Shipping code;

Noting the outcome of the 71st session of the International Maritime Organisation's Maritime Safety Committee regarding the development of a Polar Shipping code in the form of non-mandatory guidelines, and the intention to exclude Antarctica from the application of these guidelines unless Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties decide otherwise;

Recalling the provisions of Article 10 of Annex IV of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty;

Recognising the importance of maximising the safety of vessels operating in Antarctic waters;

Decide:

  1. To give priority to the development of guidelines for Antarctic shipping and related activities pursuant to Article 10 of Annex IV of the Protocol;
  2. To seek subsequent adoption of these guidelines by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a means of extending their applicability to members of the IMO that are not Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties;
  3. To convene a Meeting of Experts under the provisions of Recommendation IV-24, with the aim of developing draft guidelines for Antarctic shipping and related activities;
  4. To notify IMO, through Peru as host Government of ATCM XXIII, of the provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above;
  5. Pursuant to paragraph 3 above, to request the Meeting of Experts:
    1. i) to examine the most recent version of the draft Polar Shipping guidelines being developed for the Arctic by the IMO, and decide which elements of those draft Arctic guidelines should, form the basis of the Antarctic guidelines;
    2. ii) to consider other aspects of the design, construction, manning and equipment of vessels operating in Antarctic waters that might require elaboration in the Antarctic guidelines;
    3. iii) to take into account existing international instruments regulating shipping activities in Antarctica, including for example MAROPOL, SOLAS, UNCLOS, and the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty;
    4. iv) to take into account existing guidelines adopted under the Antarctic Treaty, and in particular those adopted under Resolution 6 (1998);
    5. v) to ensure the guidelines adequately take account of the nature of Antarctic shipping, the environmental conditions of Antarctica and the system of international governance applying to the Antarctic Treaty area;
    6. vi) to report back to ATCM XXIV.
  6. To encourage attendance at the Meeting by representatives from Consultative Parties, particularly their Antarctic and marine safety experts, and to invite experts from, Non-Consultative Parties, the Council of Mangers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR);
  7. To also invite experts from the following bodies: International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), International Association of Protection and Indemnity Clubs (P&I Clubs), International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Antarctic and southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC);
  8. To accept the offer of the United Kingdom Government to host the Meeting of Experts in London, which should, as far as possible, be held in conjunction with a meeting of the appropriate IMO expert body;
  9. That in accordance with Recommendation IV-24, the United Kingdom should submit a report of the Meeting of Experts to ATCM XXIV for consideration.