The Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) is an inter-ministerial program of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Marine Resources (CIRM) and its Executive Office (SECIRM). PROANTAR is located in the Ministry of Defense, under the responsibility of the Brazilian Navy. While PROANTAR is not a program of the Ministry of Defense, its coordination is located there. The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Science & Technology – through the National Council for the Development of Science and Technology (CNPq) – also play an important role in the program.
The respective Ministries coordinate operations through different administrative groups, with each Ministry taking the lead responsibility for one group. SECIRM, through the Operational Group (GO), plans and coordinates Antarctic expeditions and associated logistics, provides support to the scientific activities, and is responsible for keeping the Brazilian Antarctic Station “Comandante Ferraz” operational. CNPq, through the Scientific Advisory Group (GA), evaluates the scientific proposals submitted to the program, approving those that show scientific merit. The Ministry of Environment, through the Environmental Assessment Group (GAAm), evaluates the impacts that the scientific and logistical activities may cause to the Antarctic environment, and is responsible for enforcing the Madrid Protocol’s directives.
For more information, see https://www.mar.mil.br/secirm/p_in20.htm (SECIRM) and http://www.mma.gov.br/tomenota.cfm?tomenota
=/port/sbf/dap/antartic.html&titulo=Antártica%
20e%20Programa%20Antártico%20Brasileiro (Ministry of the Environment).