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SCAR Bulletin 148, January 2003

Twenty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
Warsaw, Poland, 10 to 20 September 2002

Decisions, Resolutions and Measures

The Twenty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (XXV ATCM) adopted four Decisions, three Resolutions and one Measure. The texts of the Decisions, together with two appendices, and the Resolutions are reproduced here. The text of the Measure is also reproduced here but, due to limitations of space, it has not been possible to give all the Annexes, and those remaining will be published in a later Bulletin.

Decision 1 (2002)

Naming and numbering system for Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

The Representatives
Noting the entry into force of Annex V to the Environmental Protocol on 24 May 2002;
Noting also the provision of Article 3 (3) of Annex V that all SPAs and SSSIs designated as such by past Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings are hereby designated as Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) on the entry into force of Annex V, and shall be renamed and renumbered accordingly;
Recognizing the naming and numbering system for ASPAs adopted by means of Resolution 5 (1996) and the need to update this system to include new protected areas adopted by subsequent ATCMs;

Decide:

  1. That the naming and numbering system for ASPAs annexed to this Decision be adopted;
  2. That all ASPAs adopted by the present, and any subsequent ATCM, be added to the list in consecutive order of adoption and be numbered accordingly.

Appendix to Decision 1 (2002): Naming and numbering system for Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

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Decision 2 (2002)

Emblem of the Antarctic Treaty

Desiring to provide a clear identity to the work of the ATCM and its Secretariat;
Conscious that there exists a design traditionally employed by the Antarctic Treaty parties to identify their work, but that the design has no formal status;
Believing that the adoption of such a design would enhance presentationally the work of the ATCM and its Secretariat when located in Buenos Aires;

Decide:

  1. That the design annexed to this Decision shall constitute the formal emblem of the Antarctic Treaty.
  2. That it may be used by:
  1. That the design shall be shown on the official Reports of the ATCM and may be employed at the premises of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, on its official means of transport, as well as on stationary, electronic communications, reports, flags, signs, etc.

Annex to Decision 2 (2002)

Decision 3 (2002)

The Status of ATCM Recommendations

Decision 4 (2002)

Revised Guidelines for Document Translation and Distribution

The attached "Revised Guidelines for Document Translation and Distribution" shall replace the "Guideline. Pre-sessional Document Circulation and Document Handling" with immediate effect.

  1. These guidelines apply to the distribution and translation of official papers for the Consultative Meetings. These papers consist of Working Papers and Information Papers.
  2. A Working Paper prepared by Consultative Parties and Observers, and an Information Paper which a Consultative Party has requested be translated, should be received by the Host Governmnent and, after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat by the Secretariat, no later than 45 days before the Consultative Meeting. Information Papers for which a translation has been requested should not exceed 30 pages.
  3. The Host Government and, after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat the Secretariat, should receive Information Papers for which no translation has been requested no later than 30 days before the Meeting.
  4. When a revised version of a Paper made after its initial submission is resubmitted to the Host Government and, after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat to the Secretariat, for translation, the revised text should indicate clearly the amendments that have been incorporated.
  5. The Papers should be transmitted to the Host Government and, after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat to the Secretariat, by electronic means whenever feasible.
  6. Distribution of the Papers should be via the ATCM Home Page whenever feasible. Working Papers, which were received before the 45 days limit, should be publicized this way as soon as possible and in any case not later than 30 days before the Meeting.
  7. Working Papers and Information Papers, for which a translation has not been requested according to rule 2 above, may also be presented to the Host Government and, after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat to the Secretariat, during the Meeting for translation.
  8. No Working Paper or Information Paper submitted to the ATCM will be used as the basis for discussion at the ATCM unless it has been translated into the four official languages.
  9. The Host Government and after the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat the Secretariat, should within three months of the end of the Consultative Meeting circulate through diplomatic channels and also post on the ATCM Home Page the Final Report of that Meeting in the four official languages.

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Resolution 1 (2002)

Review of Conservation Status of Antarctic Species

The Representatives,
Noting that the provisions of Article 8 of Annex II to the Environmental Protocol require that the Consultative Parties keep under continuing review measures for the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora,
Recalling Resolution 2 (1999), which had charged SCAR with a review of the list of Specially Protected Species included in Appendix A to the Environmental Protocol,
Taking into account that the CEP has noted the need to assess the status of native species to justify designation as Antarctic Specially Protected Species, on the basis of the IUCN criteria used to evaluate designation as (at least) "Vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List scheme,
Aware that SCAR, through its expert bodies has the necessary data and expertise to provide independent scientific advice to the ATCM in this field,
Recommend that:
SCAR be requested to:

Resolution 2 (2002)

Revision of Antarctic Specially Protected Area Management Plans

The Representatives,
Welcoming the entry into force of Annex V to the Environmental Protocol on 24 May 2002;
Recalling Resolution 1 (1998) on the allocation of responsibilities for revision of protected area management plans;
Noting that the management plans for many ASPAs have yet to be revised in the format required by Annex V;

Urge:
Those Parties that have yet to revise management plans in the format of Annex V take steps to do so at the earliest opportunity, with a view to their submission at CEP VII.

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Resolution 3 (2002)

Support for CCAMLR and action to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing for Dissostichus spp (toothfish).

The Representatives,
Recalling XXIII ATCVM Resolution 3 (1999), XII ATSCM Resolution 2 (2000) and XXIV ATCM Resolution 2 (2001) regarding support fort the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in its continued efforts to deal with the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Convention Area; and
Recognizing that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing threatens the conservation objectives of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and thus is undermining the integrity of the Antarctic Treaty System;

Recommend that:
Parties to the Antarctic Treaty which are Party to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, but not yet members of its Commission, take immediate steps to implement all relevant Conservation Measures adopted by CCAMLR, in particular Measures relating to the Dissostichus Catch Documentation Scheme; and

Parties to the Antarctic Treaty which are not Party to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources but which nevertheless are involved in the harvesting and trade of toothfish, consider acceding to the Convention and, in the meantime, agree voluntarily to implement the Dissostichus Catch Documentation Scheme.

Measure 1 (2002)

Antarctic Protected Area System: Management Plans for Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

The Representatives,
Recalling Resolution 1 (1998) allocating responsibility among Consultative Parties for the revision of Management Plans for Protected areas;
Noting that the draft Management Plans appended to this Measure have been endorsed by the Committee for Environmental Protection and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR);
Recognizing that these Areas support outstanding natural features and biota of scientific interest;
Recommend to their Governments the following Measure for approval in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 6 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic treaty:

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That the Management Plans for the following sites:

and which are annexed to this Measure, be adopted.

That the management plan for Cape Royds, Ross Island (ASPA No 121) be approved by the ATCM subject to the agreement by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No 106.