Manual of Regulations and Guidelines Relevant to Tourism and Non-Governmental Activities in Antarctica

The Representatives,

Noting the yearly increase in tourist numbers in the Antarctic Treaty area;
Desiring to ensure that non-governmental activities in Antarctica are carried out in full compliance with the Antarctic Treaty and its Protocol on Environmental Protection;
Desiring to improve the efficiency of the Antarctic Treaty system and compliance with its legal framework;
Taking into consideration the outcomes of the Rotterdam workshop on Antarctic tourism, especially the Chair’s Report and the Information Paper submitted to Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (“ATCM”) XLII;
Conscious of the relevance of a compilation of provisions on non-governmental activities in the Antarctic;

Decide:

1. to create the Manual of Regulations and Guidelines Relevant to Tourism and Non-Governmental Activities in the Antarctic Treaty area (“the Manual”);
2. to task the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty (“the Secretariat”) with compiling, producing and making the Manual available to the Parties;
3. to request the Secretariat to open an informal forum, convened by France, on its website allowing exchanges with the Parties, in order to enable them to guide and assist the elaboration of the Manual;
4. that Observers and Experts participating in the ATCM, especially the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (“IAATO”), will be encouraged to provide input;
5. that the Manual will be a digital document, accessible via the Secretariat’s website; and
6. that the Secretariat will produce updated versions of the Manual.