Antarctic Treaty
The Antarctic Treaty System is the whole complex of arrangements made for the purpose of regulating relations among states in the Antarctic. At its heart is the Antarctic Treaty itself. The original Parties to the Treaty were the 12 nations active in the Antarctic during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58. The Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961. The Consultative Parties comprise the original Parties and other States that have become Consultative Parties by acceding to the Treaty and demonstrating their interest in Antarctica by carrying out substantial scientific activity there.
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." To this end it prohibits military activity, except in support of science; prohibits nuclear explosions and the disposal of nuclear waste; promotes scientific research and the exchange of data; and holds all territorial claims in abeyance. The Treaty applies to the area south of 60° South Latitude, including all ice shelves and islands.
The Treaty is augmented by Recommendations adopted at Consultative Meetings, by the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid, 1991), and by two separate conventions dealing with the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (London 1972), and the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Canberra 1980). The Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (Wellington 1988), negotiated between 1982 and 1988, will not enter into force.
The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) is now held annually. During each ATCM, there is also a meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an Observer at ATCMs and CEPs, and provides independent and objective scientific advice in a variety of fields, particularly on environmental and conservation matters.
For more information on the Antarctic Treaty, please visit the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat website.
Articles of the Antarctic Treaty
- Article 1 – The area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose;
- Article 2 – Freedom of scientific investigations and cooperation shall continue;
- Article 3 – Free exchange of information and personnel in cooperation with the United Nations and other international agencies;
- Article 4 – The treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force;
- Article 5 – The treaty prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
- Article 6 – Includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves but not the surrounding waters south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south;
- Article 7 – Treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all activities and of the introduction of military personnel must be given;
- Article 8 – Allows for good jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states;
- Article 9 – Frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations;
- Article 10 – All treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty;
- Article 11 – All disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the International Court of Justice;
- Articles 12, 13, 14 – Deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations.
The main objective of the ATS is to ensure in the interests of all humankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord. Pursuant to Article 1, the treaty forbids any measures of a military nature, but not the presence of military personnel or equipment for the purposes of scientific research.
Parties
As of 2014, there are 50 states party to the treaty,[2] 29 of which, including all 12 original signatories to the treaty, have consultative (voting) status.[7] Consultative members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory. The 43 non-claimant nations either do not recognize the claims of others, or have not stated their positions.
Parties with consulting status reserving the right to make a territorial claim
Other parties with consulting status
Parties without consulting status
Non-party UN member states
Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the  icon.
 Argentina (claim)* |
1 December 1959 |
June 23, 1961 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Australia (claim) |
1 December 1959 |
June 23, 1961 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Austria |
No |
August 25, 1987 |
|
|
 Belarus |
No |
December 27, 2006 |
|
|
 Belgium |
1 December 1959 |
July 26, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Brazil |
No |
May 16, 1975 |
September 27, 1983 |
|
 Bulgaria |
No |
September 11, 1978 |
June 5, 1998 |
|
 Canada |
No |
May 4, 1988 |
|
|
 Chile (claim)* |
1 December 1959 |
June 23, 1961 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 China |
No |
June 8, 1983 |
October 7, 1985 |
|
 Colombia |
No |
January 31, 1989 |
|
|
 Cuba |
No |
August 16, 1984 |
|
|
 Czech Republic |
No |
January 1, 1993 |
April 1, 2014 |
Succession from  Czechoslovakia, which acceded on June 14, 1962.[10] |
 Denmark |
No |
May 20, 1965 |
|
|
 Ecuador |
No |
September 15, 1987 |
November 19, 1990 |
|
 Estonia |
No |
May 17, 2001 |
|
|
 Finland |
No |
May 15, 1984 |
October 20, 1989 |
|
 France (claim) |
1 December 1959 |
September 16, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Germany (claim) (rests since 1945) |
No |
February 5, 1979 |
March 3, 1981 |
Ratified as West Germany.
 East Germany also acceded on November 19, 1974 and received consultative status on October 5, 1987 prior to their reunification with West Germany.[9][11] |
 Greece |
No |
January 8, 1987 |
|
|
 Guatemala |
No |
July 31, 1991 |
|
|
 Hungary |
No |
January 27, 1984 |
|
|
 India |
No |
August 19, 1983 |
September 12, 1983 |
|
 Italy |
No |
March 18, 1981 |
October 5, 1987 |
|
 Japan |
1 December 1959 |
August 4, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Malaysia |
No |
October 31, 2011 |
|
|
 Monaco |
No |
May 31, 2008 |
|
|
 Netherlands |
No |
March 30, 1967 |
November 19, 1990 |
|
 New Zealand (claim) |
1 December 1959 |
November 1, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 North Korea |
No |
January 21, 1987 |
|
|
 Norway (claim) |
1 December 1959 |
August 24, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Pakistan |
No |
March 1, 2012 |
|
|
 Papua New Guinea |
No |
March 16, 1981 |
|
Succession from Australia. Effective from their independence on September 16, 1975.[12] |
 Peru |
No |
April 10, 1981 |
October 9, 1989 |
|
 Poland |
No |
June 8, 1961 |
July 29, 1977 |
|
 Portugal |
No |
January 29, 2010 |
|
|
 Romania |
No |
September 15, 1971 |
|
|
 Russia** |
1 December 1959 |
November 2, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
Ratified as the  Soviet Union.[13] |
 Slovakia |
No |
January 1, 1993 |
|
Succession from Czechoslovakia, which acceded on June 14, 1962.[14] |
 South Africa[15] |
1 December 1959 |
June 21, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 South Korea |
No |
November 28, 1986 |
October 9, 1989 |
|
 Spain |
No |
March 31, 1982 |
September 21, 1988 |
|
 Sweden |
No |
April 24, 1984 |
September 21, 1988 |
|
 Switzerland |
No |
November 15, 1990 |
|
|
 Turkey |
No |
January 24, 1996 |
|
|
 Ukraine |
No |
October 28, 1992 |
June 4, 2004 |
|
 United Kingdom (claim)* |
1 December 1959 |
May 31, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 United States** |
1 December 1959 |
August 18, 1960 |
June 23, 1961 |
|
 Uruguay |
No |
January 11, 1980 |
October 7, 1985 |
|
 Venezuela |
No |
May 24, 1999 |
|
|
* Claims overlap.
** Reserved the right to claim areas. |
