Becoming an Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party

The process for obtaining Consultative Party status derives from Article IX, paragraph 2 of the Treaty, which states in relevant part:

"Each Contracting Party which has become a party to the present Treaty by accession . . . shall be entitled to appoint representatives to participate in [the ATCM], during such time as that Contracting Party demonstrates its interest in Antarctica by conducting substantial scientific research activity there, such as the establishment of a scientific station or the despatch of a scientific expedition."

At the ATCM held in 2017, the Consultative Parties adopted Decision 2,  which appended "Guidelines on the Procedure to be Followed with Respect to Consultative Party Status", which states in part that:

a. The Contracting Party requesting Consultative Party status (CPrCS) should inform the Consultative Parties of its intention to request recognition of Consultative Party status as early as possible prior to the ATCM at which the request is to be considered.

b. The CPrCS should formally notify the depositary Government and provide the necessary dossier of information no later than 210 days before the ATCM at which its request is to be considered.

Accordingly, requests for recognition of Consultative Party status should conform to the specifications in the Guidelines linked above and be sent to the depositary Government (the United States of America) at the following address:

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental
and Scientific Affairs
Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs (OES/OPA)
Antarctic Team
HST – Room 2665
Washington, D.C. 20520-2665
antarctica@state.gov

Queries regarding the deposit of instruments (i.e., accession documents) for the Treaty and Environment Protocol

For queries regarding the deposit of instruments (i.e., accession documents) for the Treaty and Environment Protocol, please email the Office of Treaty Affairs at the U.S. Department of State at treatyoffice@state.gov.