6 June: Opening Day

On 6 June musicians from the Söderringen, a traditional dance and music association, played outside the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm to welcome experts and representatives from some 50 governments and international organisations as they arrived for the first day of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM).

Folke Löfgren, Secretary General of the Swedish ATCM 2005 Secretariat, shows Minister for Foreign Affairs Laila Freivalds historical Antarctic photographs, including some from Nordenskjöld's famous Polar expedition in 1901-03. The photographs belong to Fred Goldberg's collection and are on show in the conference venue at the National Museum of Science and Technology during the conference.

Argentina's delegates are ready to start negotiations within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protection Protocol. They are going to discuss issues concerning the joint management of Antarctica. For instance, an environmental impact assessment must be prepared for all activities carried out in the area. Exchange of information between national research programmes and other actors in Antarctica is another important part of the work of the Committee of Environmental Protection (CEP).

Minister for the Environment Lena Sommestad opened the negotiations on 6 June. They are expected to continue for the rest of the week.

Lena Sommestad, Swedish Minister for the Environment being briefed by Anna Carin Thomér of the Ministry of Sustainable Development prior to the opening of the negotiations. When asked about her expectations for the meeting of the Antarctic Treaty's Environmental Committee Lena Sommestad says:

"The most important issue for Sweden at this meeting is the initiative Sweden took at last year's meeting in Cape Town. The initiative was to start a discussion on future environmental challenges in Antarctica and the possibility of working out a strategy for the short and the long term. The Treaty meeting itself will discuss tourism in Antarctica. For many years the number of tourists remained stable at around 13 000, but today the number is in excess of 30 000, which obviously affects the environment in the long run. Another topical and complicated issue is the legal aspects of biological prospecting in Antarctica and whether a special regulatory framework is needed for it."

Anna Bystramovich and Valery Lukin are members of the Russian delegation. They are preparing themselves for the start of negotiations in the difficult area of liability and damages. Countries taking part in Antarctic cooperation have negotiated for many years to try to agree on the determination of liability and payment of damages after serious environmental accidents in the Antarctic such as oil discharges. This involves important issues in public international law that are of major significance for environmental work.

"Yes, we think we will be able to reach an agreement here in Stockholm," say the Russian delegates. They are not alone in this hope. The parties have until 13 June to find a solution.

Pierre Herges from the Ministry of Finance and Sofia Kobayashi from the Ministry of Sustainable Development have been seconded to the conference to work as rapporteurs.

"Being a rapporteur involves taking notes during the negotiations, especially making a note of what countries take what positions on the various issues on the agenda. It is important not to miss something by losing your concentration, because this creates problems for the people who have to write up the final report from the meeting," says Pierre. Sofia agrees. Here, she is holding the official Antarctic Treaty flag.

A four-by-four metre poster welcomed delegates to the conference venue at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Djurgården in Stockholm. The penguins with briefcases have been designed by Swedish Government Offices' Information Services for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.