Now more than ever, we are all responsible for the Antarctic
Oped by Isabelle autissier, Honorary president, WWF France & Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, French Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Issues
France is about to host and lead the 43rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) from June 14 to 24. The treaty’s 54 parties will gather to consider questions of common concern regarding the Antarctic and further the treaty’s objectives.
The Antarctic Treaty, which took effect in 1961, is a legal tool like none other. At the height of the Cold War, twelve countries overcame their differences to reach a joint solution that protected each party’s interests and, above all, those of the planet. They set aside territorial claims and disputes, banned any non-peaceful activities in the Antarctic, and guaranteed uninhibited scientific research and cooperation to that end. It is in the interest of all humanity that the Antarctic, for which we share responsibility, remain forever preserved for peaceful activities and never become a place where international conflicts unfold.
