Joint Statement on Antarctic Cooperation between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of New Zealand

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of New Zealand, hereinafter referred to as the "Participants", share a commitment to the Antarctic Treaty System, both being Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty and Parties to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, and members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

The Participants cooperate for the promotion of shared interests in Antarctica, including under the Memorandum of Arrangement between Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung and the Antarctica New Zealand, signed in 2024, on science cooperation and collaborative efforts in Antarctic research.

As the National Antarctic Programmes of the Participants operate Antarctic stations in the Ross Sea region, Gondwana Station operated by Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe and Scott Base operated by Antarctica New Zealand, both countries see value in continuing to share operational knowledge and best practice in a collaborative manner.

The Participants have a strong interest in protecting the integrity of the Antarctic Treaty System, to keep this unique part of the world peaceful, demilitarised, free of commercial mining indefinitely, and comprehensively protected. Both countries have a strong record of support for the key principles of the Antarctic Treaty System and are committed to advocating that all Treaty Parties adhere to the principles of the Treaty and their obligations under its Protocol on Environmental Protection, including by carrying out Antarctic Treaty inspections.

The Participants affirm that the Antarctic Treaty System provides for comprehensive governance and management of the Antarctic, and they will promote coherence and coordination between the Antarctic Treaty System and other relevant legal instruments, frameworks, and bodies.

In the spirit of the principle of cooperation in the Antarctic Treaty, both countries wish to strengthen Antarctic cooperation on subjects of common interest. Conscious of the value of regular dialogue on Antarctic issues, representatives of the Participants will:

• Discuss and collaborate on issues related to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP), and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), with the aim of ensuring a strong Antarctic Treaty System;

• Support ongoing scientific cooperation between research institutions and exchanges on operational matters between National Antarctic Programmes, including exploring opportunities to formalise cooperation between Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe and Antarctica New Zealand;

• Seek to identify and open further opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, on scientific research and environmental protection and management; and

• Meet annually to discuss issues of mutual interest. These meetings will preferably take place on the margins of the ATCM or CCAMLR, and, as appropriate, of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP).