ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERSESSIONAL CONTACT GROUP TO IMPROVE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION

The Representatives,

Recalling Article III (1) and Article VII (5) of the Antarctic Treaty and the obligation for the Parties to exchange information;

Conscious of the various obligations under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and its Annexes to submit information and annual reports;

Conscious also of Resolution 6 (2001) and other commitments that the parties have made with respect to keeping each other informed by the regular or occasional exchanges;

Desiring to ensure that the exchange of information between the Parties is conducted in the most efficient way and that the best use is made of this information in furthering the principles of the Antarctic Treaty;

Recommend that,

1. an intersessional contact group be established, consisting of interested Parties with the assistance of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, with the following terms of reference:

a) to examine how the process for the exchange of information may be improved to make this process more efficient, in particular to identify better ways to collate, analyse and circulate the information; and

b) to prepare a report on its findings, together with recommendations, for a decision on the matter by ATCM XXVIII.