The Hague, 7 December 2018 – An exciting part of The Netherlands’ 2018 Polar Symposium has been the ceremonial presentation of the Antarctic Blanc expedition flag to the Arctic Ambassador of The Netherlands, Ms. Carola Van Rijnsoever by a delegation of the Global Offshore Sailing.
This special occasion recognized the commitment of The Netherlands in preserving Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. In addition, it’s has also been an opportunity to remember the explorers, scientists and sailors who set foot on the Antarctic continent to discover and made us all aware how beautiful and equally important this ecosystem and its protection for our planet is.
In his speech, Antarctic Blanc expedition leader Jochen Werne emphasized the importance of the Antarctic Treaty not only for the white continent, but also as an encouraging diplomatic achievement that underscores the human capacity to peacefully find intelligent solutions, even when it comes to jointly administer an entire continent.
After the ceremony Dutch Arctic Ambassador Carola von Rijnsoever also signed the expedition flag underlining the strong commitment of The Netherlands to Antarctica. Prior in this year His Serene Highness Prince Albert II underlined Monaco’s commitment with his signature given in a ceremony at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
The international GOST delegation consisting of Jochen Werne, Philippe Quynh Nguyen, Bernd Lehmann, Götz Credé and Christopher Betjemann III thanked in the name of all expedition participants and supporters the Director of The Netherlands Polar Programme Dick van der Kroef, NWO Policy Officer Daan Blok and the whole team for the invitation and the remarkable organisation of the Polar Symposium.
Please find more details about the event from the official press release here
Please find more details about the event from the official press release here
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