The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and New Zealand have reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Antarctic Treaty System, highlighting their roles as Consultative Parties to the Treaty, participants in the Protocol on Environmental Protection, and members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Both countries cooperate to advance shared interests in Antarctica, building on initiatives such as the 2024 Memorandum of Arrangement between the Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, and Antarctica New Zealand, which promotes scientific collaboration and joint research efforts in the region.
Germany and New Zealand operate Antarctic stations in the Ross Sea region—Gondwana Station and Scott Base, respectively—and place high value on sharing operational knowledge and best practices to strengthen the efficiency and safety of their National Antarctic Programmes. The two nations are committed to preserving the Antarctic as a peaceful, demilitarised zone, free from commercial mining, and fully protected under the principles of the Antarctic Treaty System. They also pledge to encourage all Treaty Parties to uphold their environmental obligations, including conducting Antarctic Treaty inspections.
Both countries recognize the Antarctic Treaty System as providing comprehensive governance and management of the continent and aim to ensure coherence and coordination with other relevant legal instruments, frameworks, and international bodies. They intend to strengthen cooperation on areas of common interest, maintain regular dialogue on Antarctic issues, and advance joint initiatives on scientific research, environmental protection, and operational collaboration.
To achieve these objectives, Germany and New Zealand will discuss and coordinate on issues related to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP), and CCAMLR to support a robust Antarctic Treaty System. They will continue scientific exchanges between research institutions and explore formal partnerships between their National Antarctic Programmes. The two nations will also seek further opportunities for collaboration in science and environmental management and commit to annual meetings to discuss shared interests, ideally coinciding with ATCM, CCAMLR, or Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) gatherings.
