WELCOME to the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) website
The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs is an international association, formed in 1988, which facilitates support to Antarctic operations amongst the governmental National Antarctic Programs. Our Membership is thirty-four country programs, representing almost 100% of the science and science support activity in Antarctica. The National Antarctic Programs, our Members, are responsible for delivering and supporting scientific research in the Antarctic Treaty Area on behalf of their respective governments and in the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty. They work collaboratively and individually to ensure data from Antarctica is available to the world.
Projects
COMNAP Projects support our Membership, engage the public, and ensure we are providing best practice advice to the Antarctic Treaty system.
Expert Groups
People within the COMNAP Membership have a depth and breadth of expertise found nowhere else. A fundamental aspect of our organisation is to support the free exchange of information between these experts.
Ambitions
Our Ambitions include caring for the environment, supporting our Members to succeed, and fostering strong community relationships while contributing towards a positive, enduring Antarctic future.
Documents and resources
Over the years, we have worked with our Membership and the wider Antarctic community to produce a range of informative brochures, booklets, books and even the Antarctic Station game. Some of our publications provide guidance to our Members on things like waste management, critical technologies, preventing the introduction of non-native species into the Antarctic environment and how to prevent and respond to oil spills. We are advisors to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs) and to the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) through our Permanent Observer status.
News & Events
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Joint COMNAP/NPI/SCAR Mini-Symposium
10 August 2026
COMNAP was delighted to participate in the Joint COMNAP/NPI/SCAR Mini-Symposium, Investing in Observational Infrastructure and Expertise to Ensure Success for IPY-5 and Beyond, held during the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference 2026.
As planning for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5) gains momentum, COMNAP is focused on helping ensure its success through sustained investment in Antarctic observational infrastructure, operational capability, and human expertise.
This commitment was highlighted in the presentation “Sustained Investment | New Opportunities | Ensuring Success” by Agnieszka Kruszewska, COMNAP Chair and Manager of Poland’s National Antarctic Program, and Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, COMNAP Executive Secretary. You can view the Presentation here and read the Full Paper here
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COMNAP AGM 38 Concludes
10 August 2026
Over 200 participants were gathered in Tromsø, Norway, for COMNAP Annual General Meeting 38, held from 4 to 6 August 2026.
Hosted by COMNAP Member, the Norwegian Polar Institute, the meeting was our annual in-person opportunity to make preparations for the upcoming Antarctic research season and to exchange expertise on a broad range of topics.You can read the public communique released on 10 August 2026 here.
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Antarctica Matters
24 June 2026
Does Antarctica Matter to you? It does to us!
Would you like to know more about COMNAP work in supporting national Antarctic programs? Would you like to read some interesting stories from the past and have a sneak peak to the future? The new COMNAP newsletter is now available for you to read here.
If you have not already done so, consider to subscribe to the newsletter.
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Happy Mid-Winter Day!
21/22 June 2026
Wishing everyone in Antarctica a happy mid-winter solstice.
Thanks for all the work you are doing in the Antarctic to ensure critical winter data is captured and delivered to databases around the world.
Thinking of you all.