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Click on the link to go to the About page of the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty website.

Use this webpage to answer the questions in Part 1.

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The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve countries whose scientists had been active in and around Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58. It entered into force in 1961 and has since been acceded to by many other nations. The total number of Parties to the Treaty is now 56.

Some important provisions of the Treaty:

Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only
Art. I

Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end... shall continue
Art. II

Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available
Art. III

Among the signatories of the Treaty were seven countries - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom - with territorial claims , sometimes overlapping. Other countries do not recognize any claims. The US and Russia maintain a "basis of claim". All positions are explicitly protected in Article IV, which preserves the status quo:

No acts or activities taking place while the present Treaty is in force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica or create any rights of sovereignty in Antarctica. No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force.

To promote the objectives and ensure the observance of the provisions of the Treaty, "All areas of Antarctica, including all stations, installations and equipment within those areas ... shall be open at all times to inspection " (Art. VII).

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The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve countries whose scientists had been active in and around Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58. It entered into force in 1961 and has since been acceded to by many other nations.

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In Part 2 follow the question prompts to read and analyze the Antarctic Treaty

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Use the link to read about the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty.

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The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in Madrid on October 4, 1991 and entered into force in 1998. It designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve, devoted to peace and science" (Art. 2). Article 3 of the Environment Protocol sets forth basic principles applicable to human activities in Antarctica and Article 7 prohibits all activities relating to Antarctic mineral resources, except for scientific research. Until 2048 the Protocol can only be modified by unanimous agreement of all Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty. In addition, the prohibition on mineral resource activities cannot be removed unless a binding legal regime on Antarctic mineral resource activities is in force (Art. 25.5).

The Protocol has six Annexes. Annexes I to IV were adopted in 1991 together with the Protocol and entered into force in 1998. Annex V on Area Protection and Management was adopted separately by the 16th ATCM in 1991 and entered into force in 2002. Annex VI on Liability Arising from Environmental Emergencies was adopted by the 28th ATCM in Stockholm in 2005 and will enter into force once approved by all Consultative Parties.

The Environment Protocol established the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) as an expert advisory body to provide advice and formulate recommendations to the ATCM in connection with the implementation of the Environment Protocol. The CEP meets every year in conjunction with the ATCM.

In 2016, the CEP developed a publication on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. This publication was launched on 4 October 2016 and it is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish. It can be downloaded from here and hard copies are available here.

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Environmental Protocol | Antarctic Treaty

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The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in Madrid on October 4, 1991 and entered into force in 1998. It designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve, devoted to peace and science" (Art. 2).

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Read the Environmental Protocol Articles 1 - 3