The Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Filmus, met with the Executive Secretary of the Antarctic Treaty, Albert Lluberas, at the headquarters of that Antarctic body established in Buenos Aires since 2004.
Filmus and Lluberas, of Uruguayan nationality and the first Latin American to hold a managerial position in an Antarctic organization, discussed operational issues of the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. They also addressed the organization of the 43rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which will be held from June 14 to 23 by videoconference and will be chaired by France, and the 60th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty, which will be celebrated on these dates.
“Argentina maintains a firm commitment to peace and international scientific cooperation in the white continent within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty, signed by our country in 1959”, said Filmus, who attended the meeting together with the National Director of Antarctic Foreign Policy of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Máximo Gowland.
The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty is the executive body in charge of assisting the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) in in performing their functions; coordinate the preparation of their reports and facilitate the exchange of information between the Parties as required by the Treaty. It also centralizes the historical archive of all the information and documentation exchanged by the Parties since 1959 in the four official languages of the Treaty, and maintains its website.
The headquarters of the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty was established in Buenos Aires after an intense process of diplomatic negotiations of more than a decade, until the required consensus was reached. It was a great advance in Argentine diplomacy and a recognition of our country's commitment to the Antarctic Treaty System.
Argentina has hosted the ATCM four times: 1962, 1981, 2011 and 2018. Moreover, it has recently chaired the negotiations on Antarctic tourism (2015-19); and currently serves as Vice President of the Committee for Environmental Protection.
The Argentine State provides the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, contributes to its efficient operation and to consolidate a relevant role of our country in the Treaty System.
