October 4, 1991 (August 27), Xinwei, Antarctic Environmental Protocol through. In In October 1991, held in the Spanish capital of Madrid, the 11th special session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties adopted the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. 26 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, including 23 in the United States, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and other countries have signed the Protocol. The Protocol will be effective on October 3, 1992. The Protocol provides: Antarctica as a nature reserve devoted to peace and science. Protocol for the protection of the ecological environment of the Antarctic continent and the surrounding areas from destruction has enacted stringent protection measures, including in the next 50 years, prohibits all of the commercial mineral resource development activities in the Antarctic region. Protocol is a sensible decision made by humans to protect the Earth's natural environment is a big step forward for the peaceful use of Antarctica.