PM Transcripts

43
P R! MIE M! IN ISTE R
FOR MEDIA 4 JULY 1991
International agreement has now been reached to prohibit
mining in Antarctica. The last differences over the text of
the Environment Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty have been
resolved and the Protocol can now be signed in the near
future.
The final step has been agreement by the United States
announced by, President Bush this morning to a compromise
proposal on the outstanding issue of the circumstances under
which a party could withdraw from the Protocol. I welcome
the United States' decision and the agreement which it has
now made possible.
The Protocol is the result of an initiative launched by
Australia and France in mid-198g to have the Antarctic
Minerals Convention set aside in favour of a new agreement
prohibiting mining in Antarctica and providing for more
comprehensive environmental protection for that region.
When the United States had indicated in Madrid that it was
not in a position to agree to a text proposed at that
session, I wrote to President Bush urging United States
concurrence. The Protocol will establish a comprehensive environmental
protection regime for Antarctica. Antarctica will become a
" 1natural reserve devoted to peace and science" where mining
is prohibited.
Stringent provisions would apply to any modification of the
Protocol, including the lifting of the prohibition. A
proposal to lift the mining prohibition could only be
considered at a Review Conference after the Protocol has
been in force for 50 years.
Any party wishing to mine after 50 years could only do so if
a majority of all Antarctic Treaty parties, including
three-quarters of the current 26 Antarctic Treaty
Consultative parties, indicated that they wanted the
prohibition lifted. Moreover, even if such agreement was
reached, a number of other stages would have to be gone
through before any mining could begin.
It is a great result, when it is considered that Australia,
with France, started very much out on a limb when we called
for a prohibition on mining.
I am very proud that Australia remained steadfast on this
most important issue.