NEW DELHI: India will host the 26th meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) in Antarctica and the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) this month.

The 10-day marathon meetings will be held in Kochi from 20th May “to facilitate constructive global dialogue on environmental stewardship, scientific collaboration, and cooperation in Antarctica,” India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences announced on Wednesday.

The Ministry said 60 countries have confirmed their participation in the twin meetings, which will include 350 delegates and experts.

Fifty-six countries have acceded to the Antarctic Treaty, which entered into force in 1961. There are 27 other countries invited to attend meetings like the one in Kochi, which are “non-consultative parties” but do not participate in decision-making.

The meetings are “pivotal to the international community’s ongoing efforts to safeguard Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem and promote scientific research in the region,” the Ministry added.

Conve
ned annually under the Antarctic Treaty System, these meetings serve as forums for all stakeholders to address Antarctica’s pressing environmental, scientific, and governance issues.

India has established three research stations in Antarctica: Dakshin Gangotri, which was established in 1983; Maitri and Bharati, which opened in 1989 and 2012, respectively.

Dr. M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said, “We look forward to the upcoming meetings as a country fostering meaningful exchanges of knowledge and expertise to advance the shared goals of environmental conservation and scientific research in the Antarctic region.”

Source: Emirates News Agency