MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Opening of Antarctic Treaty Secretariat in Buenos Aires.

The building that will host the permanent Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty in Buenos Aires will be officially inaugurated next Tuesday - Sept 07 - with the participation of Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael Bielsa.

The first Executive Secretary Dutch born Jan Huber was nominated during the XXVII Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa between last May 24 and June 4. Mr. Huber this week began working in the permanent Secretariat located in Leandro Alem Avenue 884, in downtown Buenos Aires.

The Secretariat's main activity will be granting support to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative and the Environment Protection Committee meetings which are held annually in one of the consulting parties (country members). The 28 countries involved are active in scientific research in Antarctica and therefore fully participate in the decision making process of the Treaty.

The first challenge for Mr. Huber and his staff will be contributing to the organization of the XVIII Consultative Meeting scheduled to take place in Stockholm, Sweden in 2005.

Other duties include the development and upkeep of data bases with the purpose of improving communications between the Consulting members as well as collecting meetings information and archives which are recorded in the four official languages of the Treaty, English, Spanish, French and Russian.

Argentina's long standing ambition to host the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was achieved following the lifting of Britain's opposition to the proposal.

For more information about their activities please visit: www.ats.org.ar