Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo i Seanad Éireann don chéad uair mar Aire Stáit. Ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil nach bhfuil an t-Aire Gnóthaí Eachtractha, mo chomhghleachaí, an Teachta Dermot Ahern, in ann bheith i láthair, ach tá áthas an domhain orm an deis seo a fháil freagra a thabhairt, go mór mhór de bharr go bhfuil an Seanadóir Ross ag chur na díospóireachta os comhair na Tithe.

It is an honour to be here today. It is my first time to speak in Seanad Éireann. It is a unique honour given that the matter on the Adjournment has been tabled by Senator Ross, father of the House and someone of whom I am a constituent as a graduate of Dublin University. I am also delighted to respond to this subject because it is close to my heart.

I thank Senator Ross for raising the issue of accession to the Antarctic Treaty. He has long been an advocate of Ireland's accession to this treaty and has been active in bringing the question of the Antarctic to our attention in the past. Given humankind's increasing awareness of the importance of our natural heritage and the need to preserve and protect areas of international importance, this is a welcome opportunity for us to discuss the issue of the Antarctic.

Irish interest in the Antarctic dates back at least to the days of Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. Shackleton led three expeditions to the Antarctic, including the legendary Endurance expedition, and he died in South Georgia in his attempt to make a fourth exploration there in 1922. Today I propose to set out briefly some background information outlining the rationale for Ireland's position to date on the Antarctic Treaty. Senator Ross will undoubtedly be familiar with the background, but it will be useful for all Members of the House to familiarise themselves with it.

Signed by 12 nations on 1 December 1959 in Washington DC, the Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961. It relates to the territory south of 60° South Latitude, an area now designated as the Antarctic Treaty Area. The objective of the treaty was to ensure "in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord". The treaty sought to prohibit nuclear testing and radioactive waste disposal, and to promote international scientific co-operation in Antarctica. It provided that no new territorial claims, or enlargement of existing claims, would be made by the contracting parties while the treaty was in force. Previously asserted claims would not be renounced.

The signature of the treaty was the culmination of work undertaken by the scientists from the 12 original signatory nations from July 1957 to 31 December 1958, which was designated by the UN as International Geophysical Year. A number of UN member states have since achieved consultative status by acceding to the treaty and by conducting substantial research in Antarctica. There are currently 46 treaty member nations, consisting of 28 consultative or voting members and 18 acceding members that are invited to attend the consultative meetings, but do not participate in the decision-making.

Consultative members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory: Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. While the treaty has been in operation since 1961, support for it is far from universal and fewer than one quarter of UN member states are party to it. Today, the Antarctic treaty system comprises the Antarctic treaty of 1959, the 1991 protocol on environmental protection, the 1972 Convention for the Conservation of the Antarctic Seals and the 1980 Convention on the Conservation of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Over the years, the argument has been made that the Antarctic should be declared part of the common heritage of mankind and thus be treated in a manner analogous to outer space or the international seabed area and beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. This view has found expression in the call for a UN agreement to which all member states would subscribe as the best means to ensure full accountability for actions undertaken in, affecting and concerning Antarctica. Ireland has traditionally been sympathetic to the view that the Antarctic should be seen as part of the common heritage shared universally, and this has influenced our approach to date to the question of accession to the treaty.

There are other dimensions to this issue. Ireland welcomed the adoption by consensus of the UN General Assembly Resolution 57/51 of November 2002 which, inter alia, reaffirmed that the management and use of Antarctica should be conducted in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co-operation for the benefit of mankind as a whole. The resolution also welcomed the practice whereby the Antarctic treaty consultative parties regularly provide the UN Secretary General with information on their consultative meetings and their activities in Antarctica.

Ireland has also welcomed the generally effective functioning of the protocol on environmental protection to the Antarctic treaty, the Madrid Protocol, which provides comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and its dependent and associated ecosystems. The protocol designates the Antarctic as a natural resource devoted to peace and science. It prohibits mineral resource activity other than in the context of scientific research and sets out principles and measures for the planning and conduct of all activities in the Antarctic area.

Ireland endorses the greatest degree of transparency in regard to Antarctic matters, and the Government is prepared to re-examine its relationship with the Antarctic treaty system. Clearly this is a matter of relevance to several Departments, not just the Department of Foreign Affairs. I understand the Minister for Foreign Affairs has asked officials in his Department to examine the issues involved in accession with a view to initiating a broader interdepartmental discussion on the question. I am sure my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will keep Senator Ross informed as this consideration progresses.