The agreement on the Madrid Protocol constituted the culmination of years of development of environmental standards and practices, which were synthesised and articulated into a single comprehensive agreement. The Protocol set out new rules on environmental protection, including new restrictions to human activity in Antarctica and a framework to incorporate new issues through the elaboration of additional annexes. Through the Protocol, the protection of the Antarctic environment was established as the third pillar of the Antarctic Treaty, together with peaceful use and international scientific cooperation.
The agreement on the Madrid Protocol constituted the culmination of years of development of environmental standards and practices which were synthesised and articulated into a single comprehensive agreement The Protocol set out new rules on environmental protection including new restrictions to human activity in Antarctica and a framework to incorporate new issues through the elaboration of additional annexes Through the Protocol the protection of the Antarctic environment was established as the third pillar of the Antarctic Treaty together with peaceful use and international scientific cooperation