Antarctic Treaty: what it is and what it establishes

He Antarctic Treaty emerged as an important Antarctica conservation and protection projectturning it into a peaceful and unarmed continent, in which the exploitation of its natural resources would be prohibited. This treaty was signed in Washington on December 1, 1959, although it did not enter into force until June 23, 1961.

Currently, the Antarctic Treaty is supported by 50 countriesalthough during its establishment It was signed only by the 12 countries who had until then developed some type of activity on the white continent. These twelve countries were:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belgium
• Chili
• France
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Norway
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• USA
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the USSR)

Thus, the Antarctic Treaty was added to the various international treaties that already existed, recognizing in it the importance of Antarctica as a continent that must be used exclusively for peaceful purposes, contributing to scientific knowledge and international cooperation, so as to never be the scene or object of international discord.

In the next section we will see in detail the main measures that are included in the valuable Antarctic Treaty.

Now that you know what the Antarctic Treaty is, let’s see what it establishes. With a vision focused on political, environmental and operational aspects, the action measures established by the Antarctic Treaty They are collected in the following fundamental points:

• The main objective of the Antarctic Treaty is to promote and guarantee the peaceful use of Antarctica.: without militarization operations of any kind; such as carrying out military maneuvers or testing weapons.
• Freedom of scientific research is encouraged: on the “white continent” and the cooperation of the Contracting Parties (States signatory to the Treaty) in said scientific field, facilitating the exchange of personnel, information and scientific results about Antarctica.
• Nuclear explosions and the dumping of radioactive waste are prohibited: relating to the use of nuclear energy.
• The participation of the Contracting Parties in consultative and special meetings is mandatory.: proposals with the ultimate goal of promoting and ensuring the application of the objectives and provisions of the Antarctic Treaty. These Treaty conferences were held every two years, from its entry into force in 1961 until 1994, after which the frequency of the conferences is annual.
• They are assignedby the representatives of each Contracting Party, “observers” with the function of carrying out the different inspections proposed in the Treaty: such as the inspection of stations, facilities, equipment and vessels; as well as the different embarkation and disembarkation points for personnel and cargo in Antarctica.
• The area of ​​application of the Treaty must ensure the protection and conservation of all and each of the living resources that find their natural habitat in Antarctica.

Do you still not know what the Antarctic Treaty consists of? In summary, the Antarctic Treaty seeks to achieve an appropriate balance between the use of the white continent and its protection, thus achieving a sustainable and ecological development enhancing, in turn, the scientific and cultural progress of humanity.

You may be interested in the following Evidence Network article about Environmental Protocols: what they are and examples.

To finish this informative article about what the Antarctic Treaty is and what it establishes, we want to offer information about the melting of Antarctica.

Among the most current data available to the public we find that, although the Antarctic Treaty exists, what happens in the rest of the planet, of course, also affects this area. The waters of the Antarctic region have been warming for decades at a rate higher than the global average.

The Antarctic Ocean has warmed at a rate of 0.17ºC since the 1950s and the global average is 0.10 ºC, so the ice at the South Pole melts faster.

To learn more about this environmental problem and the situation in Antarctica, we recommend reading these other Evidence Network articles on the Consequences of the melting of the poles and Data on the melting of the poles.

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