From 11-21 May 2026, Patrick Flamm participated as an advisor to the German delegation at the 48th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Hiroshima, Japan. At these annual meetings, all rules and measures applicable in Antarctica are decided by unanimous consent. The Antarctic Treaty and its associated Environmental Protocol generally protect Antarctica as a “nature reserve devoted to peace and science.” This year, an initiative to designate the endangered emperor penguin as a specially protected species failed due to opposition from Russia and China.
Patrick Flamm had the opportunity to shed light on these successes and challenges of Antarctic diplomacy at two public events and to discuss them with international experts. Both side events were organized by the Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC) at Kobe University, Japan. On May 10, Flamm gave a lecture on “Peace and the Peaceful Use of Antarctica” at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and on May 22, he participated in a discussion at the Antarctic Public Symposium “Achievements at Hiroshima, and Remaining Challenges for the Incheon ATCM” on the topic of “The Geopoliticization of Antarctic Governance” at the Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center, Japan.
