CYIL vol. 10 (2019)

CYIL 10 ȍ2019Ȏ ARCTICA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC: HOSTING THE XLII ANTARCTIC TREATY … also stressed. One of the ways how to obtain knowledge of the non-governmental activities in Antarctica is to include a total number of passengers travelling to Antarctica and total number of crew members per trip to the annual reporting in the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES). The ATCM decided to modify the EIES in this regard. As the Post- Visit Reports seems outdated, the ATCM agreed to establish an intersessional contact group that would review the content of these reports. Antarctic tourism was also dealt with by the CEP which endorsed recommendations arising from the Antarctic Tourism Workshop, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from 3 to 5 April this year. The CEP also followed up on discussions held on the margins of the Joint SCAR/CEPWorkshop on Further Developing the Antarctic Protected Area System that was held in Prague from 27 to 28 June. Views were exchanged by the CEP on conservation of fauna and flora, climate change implications for the environment and environmental impact assessment. Mitigating microplastic pollution in Antarctica was a particular point of attention. Thus the ATCM adopted a Resolution on Reducing Plastic Pollution in Antarctica and Southern Ocean. On the basis of this resolution the Governments of the Contracting Parties are to encourage all persons under their jurisdiction that conduct or organise tourist or non-governmental activities to eliminate products of personal care that contain micro- plastic beads in the area south of 60° South Latitude. 6 The CEP endorsed revised Clean-Up Manual which was adopted by the ATCM as a resolution and with respect to introduction of non-native species in Antarctica it agreed on a Non-native Species Response Protocol. The reponse protocol should assist States in more rapid and appropriate response to introdution of non-native species in Antarctica and thus reduce the risk to Antactic ecosystems. Due to a need to provide framework on the use of all animals for scientific purposes in Antarctica, the ATCM adopted by a resolution SCAR’s revised Code of Conduct for the Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes in Antarctica. On the basis of CEP discussions, the ATCM also adopted Site Guidelines for visitors of several new sites and a Visitor Site Guidelines Assessment and Review Checklist. The CEP also assessed 11 Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPA) and two Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica which were adopted by the ATCM as measures. It is to be noted that the Government of the Czech Republic, by its resolution of April, 23, 2014, No. 284, assigned to the members of the Government and the Heads of other central authorities a task to ensure, according to their competence, the implementation of the existing measures and recommendations adopted by the ATCM before the recognition of the consultative status of the Czech Republic, and also of future measures adopted and subsequently approved by all Contracting Parties to the Antarctic Treaty with the consultative status. In the last years, the measures predominantly involved protection of Antarctic environment and belonged to the competence of the Ministry of Environment which is also a case of the adopted ASPAs. The Historic Sites and Monuments fall within the competence of Ministry of Regional Development. Finally, the ATCM adopted on 8 July 2019 the Prague Declaration on the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty. The text of the Declaration has been

6 Resolution A (2019) Reducing Plastic Pollution in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, OP1. The revised Clean- Up Manual includes advanced techniques and more options for Antarctic clean-up and provides guidance on remediation on specific contamined sites.

465