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Antarctic Diplomacy: Issues and Trends in 2022
Overview
The annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) will be hosted this year by Germany from May 23 to June 2. Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute for a discussion, in advance of the 2022 Meeting, with the ATCM Chair and key heads of delegation to learn of their priorities for the Meeting and current issues in Antarctic relations.
Selected Quotes
Tania von Uslar-Gleichen: “It is Germany’s strong wish and aim to maintain the values of the Antarctic treaty system. And by hosting this conference, even in these difficult times, Germany wants to show its responsibility for the unique ecosystem in Antarctica.”
Ambassador Fausto Lopez Crozet: “There is one innovative element in this ATCM, particularly. We are going to meet in-person, but others will have the opportunity to attend this meeting virtually. One the one hand, we are helping curb our carbon footprint, but we also have the chance to add some value and good advice from our experts that are not traveling to the meeting but are attending the meeting.”
Adam McCarthy: “Antarctica really matters to Australia. We are very much committed to maintaining an influential role in international Antarctic affairs. With that in mind, we’ve just announced our Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20-year Action Plan, and it is historic in terms of our funding and resources for Antarctica. Our priorities will be maintaining Antarctica’s freedom, supporting the treaty system, conducting world-class scientific research, and protecting the Antarctic environment.”
Miriam Wolter: “I would like to highlight our special focus on the Emperor Penguin. It is a mascot for Antarctica itself, but it is also, sadly, a symbol for the effects of climate change. In the long-term, we would like to see this species be put under the Protocol on Environmental Protection. Of course, it will not be easy, but at least we can discuss it, present research and take some steps in the right direction.”
Birgit Njåstad: “Our discussions will revolve around (1) climate change; (2) human activities; and (3) increasing our knowledge or science base…Our main effort is to provide all parties with the best technical, environmental and scientific advice on matters that are relevant for governance discussions that treaty parties are having.”
Speakers
Tania von Uslar-Gleichen
Ambassador Fausto Lopez Crozet
Adam McCarthy
Birgit Njåstad
Miriam Wolter
Hosted By
Polar Institute
Since its inception in 2017, the Polar Institute has become a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues, and is known in Washington, DC and elsewhere as the Arctic Public Square. The Institute holistically studies the central policy issues facing these regions—with an emphasis on Arctic governance, climate change, economic development, scientific research, security, and Indigenous communities—and communicates trusted analysis to policymakers and other stakeholders. Read more
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
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