Norha Abu Hanifah

The role of Malaysia under the Antarctic Treaty and Madrid Protocol

The Antarctic Treaty 1959 is the body that governs the Antarctic continent which plays an important role of preserving Antarcticas pristine environment. The Antarctic Treaty utilizes several environmental agreements namely Madrid Protocol to minimize the negative impacts of activities in the icy continent. Malaysia has been continuously expanding the Antarctic based research executed by local scientists since 1980s. Furthermore, Malaysia has officially joined the force in preserving the Antarcticas environment in 2011 by acceding the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol. Thus, persistent efforts have been carried out in developing Malaysias Antarctic Act to comply with both the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol.

Ecotourism and Biopiracy: A Legal Perspective on the Sustainability of Tourism Destination in Malaysia

Malaysia has the potential to become one of the top destinations for ecotourism, because it is one of the world’s 12 mega diversity hotspots. Ecotourism is a growing niche market within the larger travel industry, with the potential of being an important sustainable development tools. However, without proper regulatory control, ecotourism may facilitate biopiracy. The issue of ecotourism and biopiracy has been the subject of major debates. Biopiracy, if not properly remedied, is detrimental to the interest of Malaysia over its genetic resources and traditional knowledge. The main purpose of this study is to examine the various legal issues pertaining to ecotourism and biopiracy in connection with sustainability of tourism destination in Malaysia, looking in particular at the roles played by the international and national laws.