Minimum criteria for the consideration, approval and organisation of workshops associated with the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting or the Committee for Environmental Protection
The Representatives,
Recognising that workshops associated with the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (“ATCM”) or the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) may add value by facilitating focused exchanges on matters relevant to the Parties;
Emphasising the need for the topics to be addressed to be related to the official agenda of the ATCM or the CEP;
Noting the logistical and budgetary constraints that may affect the full participation of some delegations, and the desirability of avoiding unnecessary additional burdens on them;
Noting also the outcomes of the Intersessional Contact Group (“ICG”) on efficiency and effectiveness established at ATCM 47 (2025);
Bearing in mind the importance of planning such events sufficiently in advance, in order to allow for their proper coordination and organisation with the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty (“the Secretariat”);
Hopeful that improving efficiency of the meetings will allow more topics to be considered fully within them, thereby reducing the need for ad hoc events.
Decide that proposals for workshops associated with the ATCM or the CEP that request the endorsement of the ATCM should include, at a minimum:
1. thematic alignment with the official agenda of the ATCM or the CEP, as well as justification as to why the proposed topic cannot be adequately addressed within the framework of the ATCM or the CEP itself;
2. objectives, agenda, duration, proposed format (in-person, hybrid or virtual), and potential expected outcomes and written outputs;
3. an assessment of the logistical impact, including room requirements, interpretation and/or translation, and technical needs;
4. information regarding funding, including identification of funding sources and, where appropriate, the associated costs;
5. submission of the proposal as a Working Paper (“WP”), in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for the ATCM (“the Rules of Procedure”), ideally from the previous ATCM onwards, unless the ATCM decides to consider and decide the matter during the meeting; and
6. provision to the maximum extent, where appropriate and feasible, of hybrid participation modalities, with early planning and in coordination with the Secretariat, including with respect to:
a. virtual attendance for those events held in-person;
b. rotating time zones when scheduling online sessions;
c. making recordings, transcripts or Chairs’ reports available after online discussions; and
d. providing training or guidance for conveners to manage hybrid settings.
The Representatives,
Recognising that workshops associated with the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (“ATCM”) or the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) may add value by facilitating focused exchanges on matters relevant to the Parties;
Emphasising the need for the topics to be addressed to be related to the official agenda of the ATCM or the CEP;
Noting the logistical and budgetary constraints that may affect the full participation of some delegations, and the desirability of avoiding unnecessary additional burdens on them;
Noting also the outcomes of the Intersessional Contact Group (“ICG”) on efficiency and effectiveness established at ATCM 47 (2025);
Bearing in mind the importance of planning such events sufficiently in advance, in order to allow for their proper coordination and organisation with the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty (“the Secretariat”);
Hopeful that improving efficiency of the meetings will allow more topics to be considered fully within them, thereby reducing the need for ad hoc events.
Decide that proposals for workshops associated with the ATCM or the CEP that request the endorsement of the ATCM should include, at a minimum:
1. thematic alignment with the official agenda of the ATCM or the CEP, as well as justification as to why the proposed topic cannot be adequately addressed within the framework of the ATCM or the CEP itself;
2. objectives, agenda, duration, proposed format (in-person, hybrid or virtual), and potential expected outcomes and written outputs;
3. an assessment of the logistical impact, including room requirements, interpretation and/or translation, and technical needs;
4. information regarding funding, including identification of funding sources and, where appropriate, the associated costs;
5. submission of the proposal as a Working Paper (“WP”), in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for the ATCM (“the Rules of Procedure”), ideally from the previous ATCM onwards, unless the ATCM decides to consider and decide the matter during the meeting; and
6. provision to the maximum extent, where appropriate and feasible, of hybrid participation modalities, with early planning and in coordination with the Secretariat, including with respect to:
a. virtual attendance for those events held in-person;
b. rotating time zones when scheduling online sessions;
c. making recordings, transcripts or Chairs’ reports available after online discussions; and
d. providing training or guidance for conveners to manage hybrid settings.
