Agenda Item: atcm 4, cep 5

	IP		3
Agenda Item:		ATCM 4, CEP 5
Presented by:		COMNAP
Original:		English
Submitted:		12/03/2014

COMNAP is the organisation of National Antarctic Programs which brings together, in particular, the managers of those programs, that is, the national officials responsible for planning, conducting and managing support to science in Antarctica on behalf of their respective governments, all Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties.

COMNAP was established in September 1988, and so, 2013 marked the 25^th anniversary of our association. In celebration, COMNAP published A Story of Antarctic Cooperation: 25 Years of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. Copies have been freely distributed to COMNAP Members, to libraries and one copy has been placed in each ATCM delegation box. Further copies are available upon request.

In 2013, the Czech Republic National Antarctic Program was granted COMNAP membership. Thus, COMNAP has grown into an international association whose Members are the 29 National Antarctic Programs from the Consultative Parties of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uruguay and USA. Presently, the National Antarctic Program of the Republic of Belarus is a COMNAP observer organisation.

COMNAP's Constitution asserts its purpose: to develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in the Antarctic. As an organisation, COMNAP acts to add value to National Antarctic Program’s efforts by serving as a forum to develop practices that improve effectiveness of activities in an environmentally responsible manner, by facilitating and promoting international partnerships, and by providing opportunities and systems for information exchange.

COMNAP strives to provide the Antarctic Treaty System with objective, practical, technical and non-political advice drawn from the National Antarctic Programs' extensive pool of expertise and their first-hand Antarctic knowledge. A full list of COMNAP’s papers can be found in ATCM XXXIV IP007 Review of COMNAP Working Papers and Information Papers presented to the ATCM 1988 - 2011.

Antarctic sea ice is thickening in some coastal Antarctic areas. While in other areas warming is bringing changes to areas and associated infrastructure. These changing conditions are challenging National Antarctic Programs in their delivery of supplies and personnel to stations and therefore threatening timely delivery of Antarctic science and results. Such challenges necessitate the need for cooperation. Such cooperation takes place each year under planned circumstances through long established MOUs or through short-term requirements of operations and science. Sometimes, cooperation is required in order to address an unplanned situation or eventuality. The COMNAP survey on international cooperation clearly demonstrates that there is a high level of international cooperation taking place amongst National Antarctic Programs.

COMNAP attended meetings in the past twelve months as an invited observer and wishes to thank CCAMLR, FARO, HCA and IAATO for that opportunity. The COMNAP Chair and the Executive Secretary also participated in the SCAR Horizon Scan Retreat as did several of the National Antarctic Program managers. COMNAP was pleased to contribute sponsorship to SCAR to support the Horizon Scan process.

The COMNAP Annual General Meeting was held in July 2013 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, hosted by the KOPRI. Heinrich Miller (AWI) continues as COMNAP Chair and Michelle Rogan-Finnemore continues as Executive Secretary.

COMNAP Highlights and Achievements for 2013

COMNAP Book

To mark the COMNAP 25^th anniversary, COMNAP published A Story of Antarctic Cooperation: 25 Years of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (ISBN 978-0-473-24776-8). The book documents the rich contribution that the organisation has made to the Antarctic community. The author, former COMNAP Chair, Gillian Wratt, wrote the book to serve as a reference to the work that COMNAP has achieved in its relatively short history.

John Shears (BAS) and Kevin Hughes (BAS) convened, on behalf of COMNAP and SCAR, this workshop in Cambridge (24-25 September 2013) to identify practical National Antarctic Program-led responses to Antarctic conservation challenges (see Chown et al., 2012). The workshop outcomes were to inform the drafting by SCAR of an Antarctic Conservation Strategy. The workshop final report can be found in the joint COMNAP-SCAR Information Paper to this ATCM. An open Conservation Challenges workshop will be held at the SCAR OSC on 26 August 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Heinrich Miller (COMNAP Chair) convened the COMNAP Icebreaker Workshop on 21–23 October 2013 in Capetown, South Africa. The open workshop was held aboard the new research and survey vessel S.A. Agulhus II and was made possible due to with generous organisational support from the SANAP. The workshop provided an opportunity for National Antarctic Programs to discuss requirements and plans for new icebreakers. More information can be found in the COMNAP Information Paper Icebreaker Workshop presented to this meeting.

Rob Wooding (AAD) convened the COMNAP SOOS Workshop on 7 July 2013, on the margins of the COMNAP AGM in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with support from Louise Newman (SOOS Project Office). Keynote speakers included Oscar Schofield (USA), Andrew Constable (Australia) and Anna Wahlin (Sweden). In addition, National Antarctic Programs gave insightful presentations on their marine science priorities, shipping schedules and vessel capacities. Presentations available at www.comnap.aq/Publications/SitePages/Home.aspx. As a result of the workshop and after discussions at the COMNAP AGM, COMNAP established a “SOOS Think Tank” for National Antarctic Programs to exchange information that might be useful in support of the SOOS project.

COMNAP established the Antarctic Research Fellowship in 2011. For the 2013 round, COMNAP was able to offer a full Fellowship to Charlotte Havermans (Belgium) to undertake research at the AWI on the impact of environmental changes on the amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii. COMNAP and SCAR each offered a half Fellowship to Luis Rodriguez (Spain) to work at the AAD on niche modelling as a tool for invasive risk assessment of Antarctic vascular plants. COMNAP and SCAR have agreed to once again offer the Fellowships for 2014. Both organisations are also working with CCAMLR to promote their scholarships. Applications for all three schemes are now open and the 2014 COMNAP Antarctic Research Fellow will be announced in August 2014 as part of the COMNAP AGM in Christchurch, New Zealand. For COMNAP Fellowship recipients reports see www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx.

As a result of ATCM Resolution 4 (2013) adopted as a result of discussion at the ATCM SAR-WG, COMNAP has established a SAR webpage in consultation with RCCs at www.comnap.aq/membersonly/SitePages/SAR.aspx. See also the COMNAP Information Paper to this meeting entitled COMNAP SAR Website Update.

Information on problems encountered in Antarctica has always been exchanged. The very first ATCM agreed in Recommendation I-VII Exchange of Information on Logistics Problems that this should be so (effective 30 April 1962). COMNAP Annual General Meetings offer an opportunity for Members to exchange such information and also an on-line, comprehensive AINMR System is in place and is running on the members-only area of the COMNAP website. The AINMR's primary objective is: to capture information about events that had, or could have had, serious consequences; and/or reveal lessons to be learned; and/or are novel, very unusual events. Full reports on accidents can also be posted on the site and can be discussed and reviewed. So that National Antarctic Programs can learn from each other to reduce the risk of serious consequences occurring in the course of their Antarctic activities. www.comnap.aq/membersonly/AINMR/SitePages/Home.aspx.

The SPRS (www.comnap.aq/sprs) is an optional, voluntary system for exchange of information about National Antarctic Program ship operations. Its primary purpose is to facilitate collaboration. It can also, however, make a very useful contribution to safety with all SPRS information made available to the RCCs as an additional source of information complementing all other national and international systems in place. Position information is delivered via email and can be graphically displayed in Google Earth. There was an average of 21 vessels regularly reporting during their Antarctic voyages this season.

AFIM is a handbook of aeronautical information published by COMNAP as a tool towards safe air operations in Antarctica as recommended by the ATCM Recommendation XV-20 and updated as Resolution 1 (2013). COMNAP has entered the trial phase of an electronic AFIM. The AFIM will continue to be updated via information from National Antarctic Programs. The most recent AFIM paper revision set was produced and distributed to AFIM holders on 21 February 2014.

ATOM is an evolution of the handbook of telecommunications practices to which ATCM Recommendation X-3 Improvement of Telecommunications in Antarctica and the Collection and Distribution of Antarctic Meteorological Data refers. COMNAP Members and SAR authorities have access to the latest version (Feb 2014) via the COMNAP website.

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For more information see www.comnap.aq or email info@comnap.aq.

7 July 2013, COMNAP SOOS Workshop (jointly convened with SCAR), Seoul, Republic of Korea.

8–10 July 2013, COMNAP Annual General Meeting (COMNAP XXV), hosted by KOPRI, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

25–26 September 2013, Antarctic Conservation Challenges Scoping Workshop (jointly convened with SCAR), Cambridge, UK.

24 and 27 September 2013, COMNAP EXCOM Meeting, BAS, Cambridge, UK.

21–23 October 2013, COMNAP Icebreaker Workshop, (onboard) SA Agulhas II, Capetown, South Africa.

24 August, COMNAP SCAR joint Executive Meeting, Auckland, New Zealand.

25 August 2014, COMNAP Symposium “Success through International Co-operation”, Auckland, New Zealand.

26 August 2014, Antarctic Conservation Challenges Symposium (jointly with SCAR), Auckland, New Zealand.