This is a publication in Russian. There are also English, French and Spanish versions available. The Committee for Environmental Protection endorsed this publication on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is the international agreement that establishes the framework for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. It is commonly referred to as the Madrid Protocol. The Madrid Protocol was negotiated by the parties to the Antarctic Treaty between 1989 and 1991, following the failure to agree on an international regulatory instrument governing mining in Antarctica (the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, or CRAMRA). The adoption of the Madrid Protocol includes an indefinite prohibition on any activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research. The Protocol built on a range of environmental provisions agreed at several Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) since the signing of the Treaty including the 1964 Agreed Measures on the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora. It also picked up environmental management elements that had been developed during the CRAMRA negotiations (such as emergency response provisions), as well as previous work of the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on waste management and marine pollution, respectively. The Protocol was opened for signature on 4 October 1991. It entered into force on 14 January 1998. The original 26 nations to sign the Madrid Protocol have now been joined by a further 11 nations.

The Committee for Environmental Protection endorsed this publication on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is the international agreement that establishes the framework for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. It is commonly referred to as the Madrid Protocol. The Madrid Protocol was negotiated by the parties to the Antarctic Treaty between 1989 and 1991, following the failure to agree on an international regulatory instrument governing mining in Antarctica (the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, or CRAMRA). The adoption of the Madrid Protocol includes an indefinite prohibition on any activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research. The Protocol built on a range of environmental provisions agreed at several Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) since the signing of the Treaty including the 1964 Agreed Measures on the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora. It also picked up environmental management elements that had been developed during the CRAMRA negotiations (such as emergency response provisions), as well as previous work of the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on waste management and marine pollution, respectively. The Protocol was opened for signature on 4 October 1991. It entered into force on 14 January 1998. The original 26 nations to sign the Madrid Protocol have now been joined by a further 11 nations.

Compilation of Key Documents of the Antarctic Treaty System, including the Antarctic Treaty itself, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and other relevant texts. IN RUSSIAN.

"The U.S.-Russia Joint Antarctic Inspection was conducted from January 23-28, 2012. This is the first joint inspection conducted by either country and the first Antarctic inspection conducted by the Russian Federation. This was the thirteenth inspection conducted by the United States since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. This report summarizes the observations and conclusions of the joint inspection team." -- Introduction.

With the negotiation of the International Protocol on Environmental Protection in 1991, those nations conducting scientific research programs in Antarctica face new challenges for stewardship of the southern continent and protection of its environment. Science and Stewardship in the Antarctic examines how the implementation of the 1991 agreement in the United States can be done in such a way to ensure the compatibility of scientific and environmental protection goals in this global laboratory. The book also addresses the potential for the new requirements both to benefit and harm research activities in Antarctica.

High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges identifies gaps in and challenges to the existing legal regime in the protection and preservation of the marine environment of the high seas, including sensitive marine areas. The gaps identified in the book include the failure of liability and compensation schemes to cover pollution of the high seas and the fact that no state has the responsibility to clean up pollution of the high seas. One common theme of the book is that it is necessary to identify a state other than flag states, port states or coastal states, which should have an obligation to exercise jurisdiction and control over certain activities on the high seas.

This book offers the first comprehensive examination of Russia's Arctic strategy, ranging from climate change issues and territorial disputes to energy policy and domestic challenges. As the receding polar ice increases the accessibility of the Arctic region, rival powers have been manoeuvering for geopolitical and resource security. Geographically, Russia controls half of the Arctic coastline, 40 percent of the land area beyond the Circumpolar North, and three quarters of the Arctic population. In total, the sea and land surface area of the Russian Arctic is about 6 million square kilometres. Economically, as much as 20 percent of Russia's GDP and its total exports is generated north of the Arctic Circle. In terms of resources, about 95 percent of its gas, 75 percent of its oil, 96 percent of its platinum, 90 percent of its nickel and cobalt, and 60 percent of its copper reserves are found in Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions. Add to this the riches of the continental shelf, seabed, and waters, ranging from rare earth minerals to fish stocks. After a spike of aggressive rhetoric when Russia planted its flag in the Arctic seabed in 2007, Moscow has attempted to strengthen its position as a key factor in developing an international consensus concerning a region where its relative advantages are manifest, despite its diminishing military, technological, and human capacities.

For many years, concerns have been expressed about environmental issues in the Arctic. While the Arctic region, unlike Antarctica, has been inhabited for thousands of years, it is under unique threat because of its vulnerability toward resource exploitation and the deposition of various airborne pollutants. With its varied populations, and with eight Nations asserting territorial interests, the Arctic needs a careful approach to its protection and development. This report describes the current Arctic environmental legal regime. It also discusses the possibility of negotiating a sustainability treaty for the Arctic with high standards of environmental protection similar to those in the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. It is hoped that this review of the legal and policy contrasts between the Arctic and Antarctic can help in the consideration of future directions for the Arctic legal regime.

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