The Antarctic Treaty
What is the Antarctic Treaty?
The Antarctic Treaty was an agreement on how to take care of Antarctica and how to use Antarctica in the right ways for the future. Later agreements or protocols extended what the Treaty covered. The Treaty’s focus was to encourage cooperation and research; that it was signed during the Cold War when cooperation between countries was under threat makes the Treaty more remarkable. The Antarctic treaty was also designed to help keep the Antarctic environment healthy.
During the International Geophysical year (IGY) 1957-58, scientists from twelve countries banded together to draft the Antarctic Treaty which was finally signed in 1961. The hope was to keep the only continent without a native human population on the Earth in a peaceful state. The instigators of the treaty were a group of scientists working in the Antarctic who banded together and convinced their handful of governments to agree to the terms of the proposed Treaty. These first countries to sign were: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, French Republic, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Union of South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and United States of America. Other Countries joined the Agreement later. Today 45 Countries are in the Antarctic Treaty.
Previous treaties between countries were Declarations of cease fires, peace treaties, alliances or based on trade. All these types of treaties are important, but also most of them are working off their own interests with one country or one group of people making a declaration: one nation to another nation. The Antarctic Treaty is a cooperative treaty, one that only supports science: it doesn’t support tourism; it doesn’t support the military, etc. For instance, under the Antarctic Treaty the continent is reserved for scientists. There are very few other treaties that were thought up by scientists for scientists. The treaty is similar to the United Nation’s Convention on the Law of the Sea, and Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (that’s really the title). It is different to the Treaty of Versailles which saw the end of World War One, or Treaty of Waitangi which set relations between Britain and native New Zealanders.The Antarctic Treaty also has very strict rules about the care of the environment, which is known as the Environment Protocol.
Antarctica doesn’t have a government because it doesn’t have a native human population, so other governments have to decide the laws. There are 14 articles in the Antarctic Treaty dictating for what Antarctica can and can’t be used. For example, the articles say military equipment isn’t allowed in Antarctica unless it is used for scientific purposes. The articles of the Antarctic treaty are guidelines of how to protect Antarctica.
In the Future, the treaty should stay because it is to keep Antarctica as the clean prospering continent that it is. Many countries have joined the original twelve signing the Treaty and today there are 45 nations.
Since the scientists who live and work there are Antarctica's only human population it is only fair that they decide how the continent is to be used for all humanity.