Report of the Inspection Program carried out by Argentina and Chile under Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection Introduction Between February 16 and 18 of 2016, observers from Argentina and Chile carried out a series of inspections in several Antarctic facilities located in the South Shetland Islands region, under Articles VII of the Antarctic Treaty and 14 of the Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection. For this purpose, each country appointed four observers which were duly notified to the other Consultative Parties according to Article VII of the Treaty, and additionally also to the Treaty Secretariat as per Decision 7 (2013). The observer team (left to right): Rodolfo Sánchez; Fabián Ramallo; Rafael Castillo; Marcelo Leppe; John Patrick Ranson; Máximo Gowland; Patricia Ortúzar y Yanko Cariceo. 1 The appointed Observers were: For Chile: • Dr. (c) John Patrick Ranson (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) • Dr. Marcelo Leppe (Instituto Antártico Chileno, INACH) • Ing. Yanko Cariceo (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente) • Crl. (RE) Rafael Castillo (Ministerio de Defensa Nacional) For Argentina: • Ministro Máximo Gowland (Dir. General Asuntos Antárticos ‐ Cancillería) • Mg. Rodolfo Sánchez (Dir. General Asuntos Antárticos – Cancillería) • Lic. Patricia Ortúzar (Dirección Nacional del Antártico – Cancillería) • Capt. Fabián Ramallo (Armada Argentina) The joint inspections were carried out with logistic assistance from the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the Chilean Navy and Air Force, and inspections took place at the following stations: Bellingshausen (Russia); Arctowski (Poland); Great Wall (China); King Sejong (Korea) and Juan Carlos I (Spain). As a follow up to the inspection carried out in 2014/2015 by the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, the non‐governmental hut Eco‐Nelson was also inspected. The work undertaken by the observer team included, as a guide, the use of Checklist A: Antarctic Stations and Subsidiary Installations, agreed to by Resolution 3 (2010), and was complemented by staff interviews and visual inspection of the stations' facilities. Prior to performing the inspections, the observers sought information through the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) of the Antarctic Treaty, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), previous inspection reports and the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat environmental impact assessment database. Acknowledgments The observer team wishes to express its appreciation to INACH for its support in the joint work carried out; to the personnel at Prof. Julio Escudero station (INACH), in particular to the station leader Marcelo González, for his support while hosting the observer team the station; as well as to the Chilean Air Force for its logistical support with air transport via its Hércules C‐130 and Bell 412 helicopters and the Chilean Navy for the naval transportation. The team's gratitude is also extensive to the Argentine Consul General in Punta Arenas, Minister Jorge Insausti, for his support in the joint coordination meetings and for the assistance provided to the Argentine delegation during their stay in that city. Finally the team would like to acknowledge the Governments of China, Republic of Korea, Poland and Czech Republic for the comments received to the station's preliminary inspection reports, which were either incorporated into the main body of the report or annexed thereto, as appropriate, according to the nature of the comments received. 2 Preliminary comments With the exception of the Eco‐Nelson hut which was unattended at the time of inspection, the observer team was welcomed at all of the inspected stations. Ample access was given to all of the stations' facilities and to the checklist which, in most cases, had been previously prepared be the station leader, as well as to the requested documentation and, in some cases, powerpoint presentations or videos which were considered of great use to illustrate specific aspects of the stations or the procedures implemented therein. Inspections were conducted in English language, with the exception of Juan Carlos I station, which was undertaken in Spanish. General observations and recommendations In view of the observations at each of the inspected stations, the observer team was able to identify certain issues related to the inspection mechanism itself which could be considered as future general recommendations for all Consultative Parties. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY In this sense and regarding scientific stations, the observer team considered that: 1. When collecting information on the stations to be visited, the most useful source for observer team was the reports of previous inspections. The available information on the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) regarding the inspected stations was limited in general, especially due to the fact that in some cases the pre‐season and/or annual information required had not been uploaded to the EIES. 2. In light of the above, the National Programs should consider the possibility of elaborating and constantly updating the technical datasheets of their stations in one of the Antarctic Treaty official languages, based on the Checklist A: Antarctic Stations and Subsidiary Installations (Resolution 3, 2010). 3. It would be convenient that these technical datasheets could be downloaded from the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES), via an official National Antarctic Program link. 4. It would be convenient that COMNAP could eventually incorporate these datasheets to the information on the Antarctic stations available on its website, and could suggest a standard format for their elaboration, given the ample familiarity COMNAP has with the operation of Antarctic stations. 5. It would be very useful to have greater availability of public information as to the stations’ environmental conduct guidelines, especially in the station’s more transited areas. 6. It would be a healthy practice for station leaders to complete the verification checklists upon arrival and taking up of their positions, with the objective of familiarizing themselves with the Treaty and Protocol regulations in relation with the operation of 3 their Antarctic stations. As has already been mentioned, such practice would be of great use for the observer team at the time of inspection. 7. It is highlighted that some stations presented ample availability of procedure and work protocols regarding various aspects of their operation, and that such a practice should be considered an example to be replicated in all Antarctic stations. INFRASTRUCTURE Regarding the infrastructure available at the inspected Antarctic stations, the observer team considered that: 8. In general terms, the inspected stations have made significant efforts to comply with recommendations presented after previous inspections, including the installation of new infrastructure. This is proof that the inspections mechanism included in Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and in Article 14 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection is an effective tool for the continuous improvement of Antarctic stations. 9. It is commendable that most of the inspected stations currently employ, or are in the process of installing –or increasing‐ the use of renewable energy sources. 10. It would be of great use for National Antarctic Programs to review the designated areas for helicopter landings ‐as well as the procedures associated with their operation‐ at their stations, when applicable. In this respect, and in view of its considerable knowledge on Antarctic logistic matters, COMNAP´s advice would be greatly appreciated. MEDICAL Regarding issues associated with this aspect, the team of observers considered that: 11. In areas of high station density, such as Fildes / Guardia Nacional Bay and its vicinity, it would be advisable that efforts be made to widen the existing medical coordination in order to optimize the use of resources available at each of the stations, regarding both medical equipment and instruments, and the work fields of the different medical professionals posted at the stations. SCIENCE In terms of the development of scientific activity at the inspected stations, the observer team considered that: 12. At the stations where previous inspection reports had identified there was limited international scientific cooperation, it was noted that there is an incipient increase of such cooperation, even though there is still room for further expansion of joint scientific work. 4 TRAINING Regarding issues related to training systems in place for personnel stationed in Antarctica, the observer team acknowledged that: 13. It proved important for personnel of the inspected Antarctic stations to have received, in some degree, training courses regarding their activities in Antarctica, and that it would be advisable for such training to be continuously incremented, both in its duration and contents. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT In this regard, and in general terms, the observer team considered that: 14. There is a need for Antarctic stations to continue efforts to improve their waste management, in particular associated with hazardous wastes and the removal of wastes associated with past activities, as well as the specific personnel training regarding these matters. 15. Special attention should be given to the minimization of risks related to the possible introduction of non‐native species and diseases, particularly to those linked to the hydroponics