The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 18th June 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Indian Research Stations in Antarctica

• Maitri and Bharati: India has two operational research stations at the South Pole.
• Dakshin Gangotri: The first Indian station, built before 1985, now functions as a base transit camp for supplying goods.

Maitri Research Station

• About: Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica, established under the Indian Antarctic Programme.
• Built in: 1989.
• Location: Situated in the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis.
• Lake Priyadarshini: A freshwater lake built around Maitri.

Protected Areas

• Additional areas in Antarctica were designated as ‘protected’ during the Kochi meeting.

Biosecurity Guidelines for HPAI

• The meeting emphasized the need for standard biosecurity guidelines to mitigate the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) spreading through human activities.

All-Inclusive Governance

• India advocated for ‘all-inclusive’ governance, marking the first steps toward drafting a tourism framework for Antarctica.

Maitri-II Research Station

• India announced plans to replace the 35-year-old Maitri research base with Maitri-II.
• Drafting architectural and environmental plans for Maitri-II will begin soon, with an aim to have it operational by the early 2030s.
• The environmental report will be presented to the Committee on Environmental Protection for clearance.

Antarctica Tourism Concerns

• There has been a significant increase in visitors and researchers, with estimates indicating 100,000 visitors in 2023.
• India introduced a dedicated working group focused on Antarctic tourism to address these concerns.

Consensus for Tourism Framework

• All Antarctic Treaty Parties present in Kochi agreed on the need for a tourism framework.
• Significant progress was made on a resolution and an annex addressing environmental liability of activities in Antarctica.

Challenges in Developing a Tourism Framework

• Developing a comprehensive tourism framework is complex and requires consensus from over 50 parties, making it a lengthy process.

Future Deliberations

• Further discussions on the tourism framework are expected at the next ATCM in Italy in 2025.
• Once consensus is reached, stringent regulations for Antarctic tourism will be implemented.

Saudi Arabia’s Entry

• Saudi Arabia became the newest member of the Antarctic Treaty Parties at ATCM-46 in Kochi.

Key Discussions

• The meeting included discussions on critical issues such as sea ice changes, protection of emperor penguins, enhancing environmental impact assessments (EIA) for major activities, and developing an international framework for environmental monitoring in Antarctica.

About the Summit

• The Swiss Peace Summit, also known as the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, is an international conference focused on resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
• It is held at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland and gathers representatives from various countries and organizations to discuss and promote peace initiatives.

Objective

• The primary goal is to facilitate dialogue and negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Participants

• The summit includes representatives from numerous countries, international organizations, and peace advocacy groups.
• Recently, 80 countries and four organizations supported the final joint communiqué.

Key Outcomes

Joint Communiqué:

• A final joint communiqué was supported by 80 countries and four organizations out of the 100 attending delegations.
• It outlines collective consensus and recommendations for achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Territorial Integrity:

• The communiqué emphasizes that the territorial integrity of Ukraine should be respected in any peace agreement.

Important Themes in the Final Statement:

• Nuclear Safety:
  • Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the ongoing war is inadmissible.
• Food Security:
  • Food security should not be weaponized, and Ukrainian agricultural products should be securely and freely provided to interested third countries.
• Prisoner Exchanges:
  • All prisoners of war must be released through a complete exchange.
  • All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children and civilians must be returned to Ukraine.

Commitment to Peace

• Participants expressed a strong commitment to ending the war, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue and diplomatic efforts.

Humanitarian Aid

• The summit underscored the importance of providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict, including displaced persons and civilians in war-torn areas.

International Cooperation

• The summit facilitated international cooperation and solidarity, with countries and organizations pledging to work together to promote peace and stability in the region.