The USAP Portal: Science and Support in Antarctica - The Antarctic Treaty Quick Links Station Times Contact Us Home Search This Site Home / The Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic Treaty For USAP Participants USAP Program Announcements USAP Participant Guide Deployment Packets USAP Online Learning Center POLAR ICE Calendars and Schedules South Pole Station Satellite Pass Schedules For The Public About the Program The Antarctic Treaty For the Press News About the USAP RSS Feeds Jobs and Opportunities The Antarctic Sun USAP Photo Library Science Planning Summary McMurdo Station Webcams South Pole Station Webcams Palmer Station Webcams For Researchers and Educators Information for Proposers Educational Opportunities and Resources Research Opportunities Contact Us National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Geosciences Directorate 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite W7100 Alexandria, VA 22314 Feedback Form Alert Read the latest information from NSF on coronavirus (COVID-19) About the USAP About the Program About USAP Participants Environmental Policy and Compliance FAQs Science Discoveries News Office of Polar Programs News Jobs and Opportunities Media Inquiries About Antarctica About the Continent The Antarctic Treaty Video Clips, Maps, and Images Educational Opportunitiesand Resources Grantee Support Research Opportunities Information for Proposers Calendars and Schedules Conferences, Committees, and Workshops Science Support Vessel Science and Operations Travel and Deployment POLAR ICE Online Learning Center Surveys Program Operations Calendars and Schedules Conferences, Committees, and Workshops Logistics Vessel Science and Operations Information Technology and Communications Services Travel and Deployment Online Learning Center USAP Science About the Program Science Support Researchers and Science Projects Science Discoveries Research Opportunities Educational Opportunitiesand Resources Ceremonial marker at the South Pole, including flags of the original signatory nations of the Antarctic Treaty Signed in 1959, the Antarctic Treaty provides the legal framework for the region beyond 60º South latitude. It reserves the region for peace, promotes scientific investigations and international cooperation, requires an annual exchange of information about activities, and encourages environmental stewardship. Representatives of the 29 voting nations (Consultative Parties) and the 21 non-voting (Acceding Parties) meet regularly to discuss Treaty operations. Agreements negotiated within the Antarctic Treaty system include environmental protection measures for expeditions, stations, and visitors; waste-management provisions; a ban on mining; establishment of specially protected areas; and agreements for the protection of seals and other marine living resources. Antarctic Treaty Information The Antarctic Treaty Read the Treaty in its entirety as well as NSF notes about the Treaty. U.S. Antarctic Treaty Information Exchange This web site contains the information exchange required under Articles III and VII (5) of the Antarctic Treaty. Handbook of the Antarctic Treaty System—U.S. Department of State Material about the Antarctic Treaty system, including the Antarctic Treaty itself, the Protocol on Environment Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Secretariat supports the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and the Committee for Environmental Protection, facilitates the exchange of information among the Treaty Parties, and maintains records of Treaty and related meetings. Committee for Environmental Protocol This Committee provides information relevant to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. For information about Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, Antarctic Specially Managed Areas, and Historic Sites and Monuments, see the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat Area Protection and Management/Monuments Page at http://www.ats.aq/e/ep_protected.htm. Council of Managers of Antarctic National Programs Established in 1988, COMNAP brings together the managers of national agencies responsible for Antarctic operations supporting science, and comprises representatives from 29 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) This Commission oversees the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources —the part of the Antarctic Treaty System focused on conserving marine life in the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) This Committee is the interdisciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). It initiates, promotes, and coordinates scientific research in Antarctica, and provides scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System. Contact USAP National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Geosciences Directorate 2415 Eisenhower Avenue Suite W7100 Alexandria, VA 22314 Email USAP Quick Links USAP Webcams Jobs and Opportunities About the Program About USAP Participants USAP Participant Guide Video Clips, Maps, and Images USAP Station Times Travel and Deployment POLAR ICE South Pole Satellite Communications About the Continent Help USAP Frequently Asked Questions Help and Support Feedback Form National Science FoundationSocial Media Website Policies | Budget and Performance | Inspector General | Privacy | FOIA | No Fear Act | USA.gov | Accessibility | Plain Language | Contact NSF National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, USA Tel: (703) 292-5111, FIRS: (800) 877-8339 | TDD: (800) 281-874 loading