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The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by the twelve nations that had been active in Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and USSR). The primary purpose of the Antarctic Treaty is to ensure “in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord”. The Treaty entered into force on 23 June 1961 and applies to the area south of 60o South latitude.
A key element of the Treaty is its Article IV, the effect of which is to set aside potential sovereignty disputes between Treaty Parties by providing that previously asserted positions with respect to territorial claims to Antarctica can be neither enhanced nor diminished during the Treaty’s life. This solution provided the basis for the main achievements of the Treaty – the demilitarisation of the continent, the banning of nuclear testing and dumping of nuclear waste, and the promotion of international cooperation in scientific research. The Treaty also requires that all stations, installations or equipment are open to inspection by observers appointed by Antarctic Treaty Parties. The Treaty also established an ongoing platform for cooperation in scientific investigation and logistics support, and the development of measures for resource conservation and protection of the environment.
The Treaty provides that any member of the United Nations may accede to it. The Treaty now has 45 signatories, with 28 Consultative Parties, who have “voting” status on the basis of being original signatories or by demonstrating their commitment to Antarctica by conducting significant research there.Since 1961 the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties have built up an impressive record of cooperative achievement through the adoption of a wide array of measures to regulate human activity in the Antarctic Treaty Area. Problematic differences over territorial claims have been effectively set aside and as a disarmament regime the Treaty has been outstandingly successful. The freedom of scientific research guaranteed by the Treaty has allowed significant contributions to knowledge of the earth and to the protection of the global environment. The Treaty Parties remain firmly committed to a system that is still effective in protecting their essential Antarctic interests. New Zealand has played an important role in the development of these cooperative arrangements for managing activities in Antarctica.
The text of the Antarctic Treaty can be found in chapter 2 of the Handbook of the Antarctic Treaty System beginning on page 4. Please see related resources - external links.
The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is a unique group of agreements among nations that provides for the coordination of relations among states with respect to Antarctica. The ATS is comprised of the Antarctic Treaty itself, the suite of Recommendations, Measures, Decisions and Resolutions in furtherance of the Treaty adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties, and five separate international agreements developed to complement the Treaty. These agreements are:
Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora (adopted June 1964, replaced by the Environmental Protocol)
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS, adopted December 1972 and entered into force March 1978 but not ratified by New Zealand)
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR), adopted May 1980 and entered into force April 1982
Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA, adopted June 1988, and unlikely to enter into force as superseded by the Environmental Protocol)
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol, adopted October 1991, entered into force January 1998)
The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and opened on 1 September 2004.
The Antarctic Treaty Parties hold regular Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs), for the “purpose of exchanging information, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, and formulating and considering and recommending to their Governments measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of the Treaty”. ATCMs have been held annually since the adoption of the Protocol on Environmental Protection in 1991.
The host government is determined by the alphabetical order of the Consultative Parties (in the English language). Meetings are conducted in the four languages of the Treaty System – English, French, Spanish and Russian. Decisions of the meeting are normally taken by consensus. Those countries party to the Treaty that are not Consultative Parties are invited to take part in the meetings, although they do not have the power to block consensus. The meeting reports contain a summary of the discussions as well as the text of any Recommendations, Measures, Resolutions and Decisions made by the Parties. Such measures relate to matters such as scientific and logistic cooperation, hydrographic charting, designation and management of protected areas, management of tourism, information exchange, collection of meteorological data, communications and safety.
ATCM XXV will be held in New Delhi, India from 30 April-11 May 2007. For further information refer to the ATS website. [external link]
