The 41st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XLI) and the 21st Meeting of the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP XXI) took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 13 to 18 May 2018.
The ATCM XLI meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Ambassador Maria Teresa Kralikas of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina.
The Environmental Protection Committee (CEP XXI) met from 13 to 15 May 2018, chaired by Mr Ewan Mclvor (Australia).
The meetings, held in the Palacio San Martin, were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina, effectively assisted by the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.
Participants from 53 countries, Antarctic Treaty Parties, observers and experts from international organisations have been invited to attend the annual meeting.

The head of the Romanian delegation was the representative of the Embassy of Romania in Buenos Aires, Her Excellency the Ambassador of Romania to Argentina, Carmen Podgorean. The alternate member was Dr Manuela Elisabeta Sidoroff, in his capacity as ATCM National Contact Point, Vice-President of the CNCA and Director General of the National Institute for Research and Development in Biological Sciences (INCDSB).

The composition of the delegation, the objectives of the delegation, etc., were approved by Memorandum 1741/03.05.2018 proposed by the President of the National Commission for Antarctic Research of the Romanian Academy, endorsed by the coordinator of the CNCA of the Romanian Academy - Acad. Cristian Hera and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dipl. Teodor Meleșcanu.
Due to important changes in the usual agenda as originally planned, the meetings were held with a reduced programme on the occasion of ATCM XLI and CEP XXI, which did not prevent them from addressing the most relevant issues on their agenda.
ATCM XLI and CEPXXI discussions focused on the following issues: the work of the Antarctic Treaty System, biological bioprospecting in Antarctica, Antarctic Treaty surveys, tourism trends and environmental impacts in areas under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, as well as the update of the Multi-Year Strategic Work Plan.
The Environmental Protection Committee (EPC) meeting discussed the impact of human activities on the environment, including construction of new facilities, tourism management and unmanned vehicle operations; management of protected areas; and environmental inspection reports.

Romania's objectives were focused on the following directions:
- Participation, as a non-consultative party, in the work of the ATCM XLI which was carried out in accordance with the agenda of the meeting and in which measures, resolutions, decisions and documents of strategic importance for the ATCM (e.g. Multi-annual Strategic Work Plan) were adopted according to the final report;
- Presentation of the two briefing papers, in the form of IPs (Informative Papers);
- Participation in the work of CEP XXI (Environmental Protection Committee);
- Meetings with current and potential partners.
The Director General of INCDSB - Dr. Manuela Elisabeta Sidoroff had discussions with members of the delegation of the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) from the Republic of Korea, in order to continue the implementation of the Framework Agreement, in particular details regarding the period 2018 - 2019.
Discussions were also held by the members of the Romanian delegation with a view to initiating a collaboration with Turkey, which will materialize in a joint project during the 2018-2019 polar summer.
The strengthening of cooperation between Romania and Argentina was sought to be achieved through discussions between members of the two delegations, with a view to those proposed earlier in the meeting.
The ATCM XLI, 13-18 May 2018, Buenos Aires, Argentina, was held with the priority of addressing the issues contained in the ATCM Working Papers (WPs) and Multi-Year Strategic Work Plan (MYSWP), with the aim of complementing the Agenda by assisting the ATCM in identifying priority issues and supporting more effective functioning.

The Parties extended congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the 30th anniversary of the Council of Managers of Antarctic National Programmes (COMNAP), both key organisations of the Antarctic Treaty System.
The parties expressed their gratitude to Argentina for organising the ATCMXLI and CEP XXI under extraordinary circumstances and such short notice, and their appreciation for the excellent facilities provided for the meeting.

All the documents adopted during the meeting can be found in the Final Report of the ATCM XLI which will be posted on the ATS website after the end of the meeting at www.ats.aq.

Next year in 2019, Czech Republic will host the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XLII) for the first time on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty.