The Secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic, Guillermo Carmona headed this Monday the presentation of the Antarctic Annual Plan 2021-2022, which detailed all the activities that will take place in the region during the Antarctic Campaign, which runs from November 1 to October 31.
Carmona exposed this Monday in the Liberating Room of the Palacio San Martín Argentina’s Antarctic priorities for 2022, among which he emphasized the reaffirmation of Argentine sovereignty over the Antarctic and Malvinas sector, the national presence in multilateral Antarctic forums, relations with other countries, the development of Antarctic science and the protection of the environment.
“The Annual Plan contributes to the consolidation of the Argentine presence in Antarctica and is another gesture of national sovereignty in the claims that we are carrying out from the Government in relation to Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic. For me it means enormous pride that the Secretariat and the Foreign Ministry are committed to this aspect of foreign policy and to the concrete management of this Annual Plan in conjunction with the Ministry of Defense, “said Ambassador Carmona.
Argentine Antarctic Annual Plan 2021-2022 ??❄️
Secretary Guillermo Carmona today led the presentation of the plan that will develop more than 50 scientific, technical, environmental and logistical projects in the white continent. pic.twitter.com/MrUzwNkuzE
– Argentine Foreign Ministry ?? (@CancilleriaARG) January 11, 2022
He also stressed that this is possible thanks to “certain political decisions” and recalled that we are dealing with a National Directorate and an Antarctic National Institute that was “dispossessed in the previous management of a national heritage historical building.”
In this sense, he pointed out that the National Directorate “had no where to work” and pondered “the commitment” of the current administration to guarantee a property where the staff can work.
The event was also attended by the national director of the Antarctic (DNA), Patricia Ortúzar; the scientific coordinator of the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA), Sergio Santillana, and the joint Antarctic commander, Brigadier General Edgar Calandín, who presented the specific aspects of the plan.
Basic points of the Antarctic Annual Plan 2021-2022
• Reaffirmation of Argentine sovereignty over the Antarctic and Malvinas sector
• National presence in multilateral Antarctic forums
• Relationship with other countries
• Antarctic science development and environmental protection
Carmona also stressed that the plan was drawn up in a “participatory” manner by the IAA, the DNA and the Antarctic Joint Command, and that it plans to develop 48 lines of scientific action that will allow “a more complete knowledge of the particular Antarctic environment and count on the knowledge and experience of Argentine scientists and technicians “.
Regarding the Plan, he added that “it gives us the necessary challenge of thinking about our Antarctic presence also in terms of the enormous commitment that the Argentine Government has been assuming in terms of climate change, and there are lines of work that I think characterize Argentina in Antarctica. “Among them, he highlighted the view that seeks to give importance to the social sciences in an area where it had practically not been developed, the presence of Radio Nacional and the experience educational.
For her part, the director of the DNA, Patricia Ortúzar, recalled that the Annual Antarctic Plan is prepared based on National Law 18,513, and in this sense all the activities carried out are based on the approved national policy.
“Our guiding principle is to strengthen sovereignty rights in the region and we have all the guidelines and policies established by decree 2316/90, from the strengthening of our scientific activity, logistical support and the strengthening of the Antarctic treaty, which are main pillars of the annual plans, “reaffirmed Ortúzar.
Among the lines that work as priorities are the interaction between South America and Antarctica, climate change and the monitoring of the ecosystem that is used for decision-making in different forums of the Antarctic treaty.
In turn, Ortuzar also stressed that “it is important that Our science and our activities respond to our national interests and that we can influence decisions in the different areas of the international system linked to Antarctic work and that is what guides us in the preparation of the Plan“.
Along with each project, an environmental impact assessment is completed in compliance with the Madrid Protocol.
The projects that DNA receives in conjunction with the IAA are selected and compiled into four large groups: scientific-technical activities and the Meteorological Service, environmental management activities and tourism, logistical support activities and service activities.
In the presentation of the Plan they also highlighted that the 2021/2022 summer Antarctic campaign is expected to be “a campaign similar to those carried out before the pandemic”, where scientific activities will involve approximately 187 researchers, including 10 foreigners, technicians and logistics, sent by the DNA and the IAA that will integrate 73 working groups corresponding to 49 IAA scientific projects (17 Life Sciences, 18 Earth Sciences, 11 Physical-Chemical Sciences, 2 Social Sciences and 6 of the National Meteorological Services) .
Today we present at the @CancilleriaARG the Argentine Antarctic Annual Plan 2021-2022, together with the National Director of the Antarctic @dna_iaa, Patricia Ortúzar, the IAA Scientific Coordinator, Sergio Santillana, and the head of the @cocoantar, Brigadier General Edgar Calandín. pic.twitter.com/YNnNcJ3UTY
– Guillermo Carmona (@grcarmonac) January 10, 2022
Two thirds of the personnel involved will carry out their activities at the Carlini and Marambio Bases.
In addition, the other eleven Argentine bases in the white continent were part of the virtual meeting: Brown, Cámara, Decepción, Esperanza, Matienzo, Marambio, Melchior, Orcadas, Petrel, Primavera and San Martín, among others, and their bosses transmitted the activities that have been carried out and appreciated participating in the presentation of the plan.
In dialogue with Télam, Carmona said that The work of the heads of the Argentine bases and of the scientists, technicians and support personnel of the Foreign Ministry in Antarctica is to “make a Homeland”.
In turn, he said that these tasks “contribute enormously to the country and at the same time it is a difficult professional experience to compare with others. The Argentina of the Antarctic continent is challenging and requires enormous personal and collective effort.”
The Annual Antarctic Plan demonstrates the “central role played by the Foreign Ministry in the planning of Argentine Antarctic activities, as well as with regard to the scientific and environmental protection aspects of our country’s work on the white continent,” they stressed from the portfolio Of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero could not lead the presentation of the plan as scheduled because, according to official reports, he is isolated due to having been in close contact with the coronavirus with his Bolivian counterpart, Rogelio Mayta, during the Celac Summit, held last Thursday and Friday in the City of Buenos Aires.
