Antarctic Treaty - Discovering Antarctica .rll-youtube-player, [data-lazy-src]{display:none !important;} Skip to content Discovering Antarctica Interactive teaching and learning resources on Antarctica from RGS-IBG in partnership with BAS and supported by UK FCO. Menu Search Menu Introducing Antarctica | Imagining Antarctica | Wilderness challenge | Being there | The sound of silence | Antarctica the movie | Making a trailer | Be a film critic | What, where, why? | Sizing up Antarctica | The world turned upside down? | Introduction to Antarctica’s Ice Sheets | Going back in time | Antarctica: The frozen continent | Oceans, atmosphere, landscape | A changing climate | Seasonal change | The climate today | The climate of the past | The climate of the future | Rising seas | Making waves | Glaciation | So you think you know about glaciers? | What are glaciers? | Glacial features | Exploring ice | Pine Island glacier | Ice land and sea | Key physical features | Tectonic history: into the deep freeze | Antarctica’s geology | Ice sheets and glaciation | The coast and adjacent ocean | Atmosphere weather and climate | Key factors behind Antarctica’s climate | Regional climate variation and weather | Climate change: past and future | The ozone hole | Ecosystems and foodwebs | Beneath the waves | Who’s looking at you | Food from the freezer | A time to Krill: a murder mystery | A view to a Krill | Ecosystems | Biogeography of Antarctica | The terrestrial environment | The marine environment | Ecosystem change and exploration | Science and exploration | Journey south | A letter never sent | The race to the pole | The Rime of the Ancient Mariner | Explorer’s diaries | Living in Antarctica today | Packing your bag | What (not) to wear | Keeping healthy | Generation next | The job of a lifetime! | Pole to pole | Spot the difference | Polar extremes | The importance of Polar science | Your polar proposal – become a scientist | Decision time | Collect Antarctic data | Guess the gadget | Prepare to travel south | Collect data about the ocean | Collect atmospheric data | Collect data about the land | Using your data | Understanding Antarctica | Bases for understanding | Developing understanding | Contemporary understanding | Using the past to research the present | Conserving the past | Understanding the past and the present | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | Mapping wind speed and direction in Antarctica | Working in 3D using digital elevation models | Ice shelf retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula | Tourism | Destination Antarctica | Why Antarctica? | A trip of a lifetime | Avoiding footprints | The future of tourism | Acting responsibly | Visit Antarctica | Impacts and Management | Environmentally friendly tourism | Challenges | Antarctica under pressure | A treasure trove of resources | Farming Antarctic waters | Putting you under pressure | Antarctica under pressure | Sustainability | Impacts of climate change | Mineral resources | Overfishing | Future of Antarctica | What future for Antarctica? | Which view of the future? You decide! | Reporting on the future | How is Antarctica governed? | The Antarctic Treaty | All agreed? | The Antarctic Treaty system | Making claims | Working together | Geopolitics of Antarctica | Antarctic Treaty | Conservation | Science in Antarctica | Discovering Antarctica Blog | For teachers | In this section Close Tab In this section Discovering Antarctica Introducing Antarctica Imagining Antarctica Wilderness challenge Being there The sound of silence Antarctica the movie Making a trailer Be a film critic What, where, why? Sizing up Antarctica The world turned upside down? Introduction to Antarctica’s Ice Sheets Going back in time Antarctica: The frozen continent Oceans, atmosphere, landscape A changing climate Seasonal change The climate today The climate of the past The climate of the future Rising seas Making waves Glaciation So you think you know about glaciers? What are glaciers? Glacial features Exploring ice Pine Island glacier Ice land and sea Key physical features Tectonic history: into the deep freeze Antarctica’s geology Ice sheets and glaciation The coast and adjacent ocean Atmosphere weather and climate Antarctica’s climate: the key factors Regional climate variation and weather Climate change: past and future The ozone hole Ecosystems and foodwebs Beneath the waves Who’s looking at you Food from the freezer A time to Krill: a murder mystery A view to a Krill Ecosystems Biogeography of Antarctica The terrestrial environment The marine environment Ecosystem change and exploration Science and exploration Journey south A letter never sent The race to the pole The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Explorer’s diaries Living in Antarctica today Packing your bag What (not) to wear Keeping healthy Generation next The job of a lifetime! Pole to pole Spot the difference Polar extremes The importance of Polar science Your polar proposal – become a scientist Decision time Collect Antarctic data Guess the gadget Prepare to travel south Collect data about the ocean Collect atmospheric data Collect data about the land Using your data Understanding Antarctica Bases for understanding Developing understanding Contemporary understanding Using the past to research the present Conserving the past Understanding the past and the present Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping wind speed and direction in Antarctica Working in 3D using digital elevation models Ice shelf retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula Tourism Destination Antarctica Why Antarctica? A trip of a lifetime Avoiding footprints The future of tourism Acting responsibly Visit Antarctica Impacts and Management Environmentally friendly tourism Challenges Antarctica under pressure A treasure trove of resources Farming Antarctic waters Putting you under pressure Under pressure: Land Antarctica under pressure Sustainability Impacts of climate change Mineral resources Overfishing Future of Antarctica What future for Antarctica? Which view of the future? You decide! Reporting on the future How is Antarctica governed? The Antarctic Treaty All agreed? The Antarctic Treaty system Making claims Working together Geopolitics of Antarctica Antarctic Treaty Conservation Science in Antarctica Resources For teachers Teachers’ notes | Imagining Antarctica Teachers’ notes | What, Where, Why? Teachers’ notes | A Changing Climate Teachers’ notes | Glaciers Teachers’ notes | Ice, Land and Sea Teachers’ notes | Atmosphere, weather and climate Teachers’ notes | Beneath the waves Teachers’ notes | Terrestrial and marine ecosystems Teachers’ notes | Journey South Teachers’ notes | Living there today Teachers’ notes | Pole to Pole Teachers’ notes | Collect data Teachers’ notes | Understanding Antarctica Teachers’ notes | Geographical Information Systems Teachers’ notes | Destination Antarctica Teachers’ notes | Tourism Teachers’ notes | Under pressure Teachers’ notes | Sustainability Teachers’ notes | Politics of Antarctica Teachers’ notes | The Antarctic Treaty Teachers’ notes | What future? Blog Help with Discovering Antarctica Links Sitemap About Discovering Antarctica Terms and conditions Accessibility Cookies Glossary Navigation tools Sitemap Resources Close Tab All resources site search tool Antarctic Treaty Antarctica is designated as a continent of peace and cooperation, but it hasn’t always been. Find out more about how the spirit of co-operation has developed and is demonstrated in Antarctica today. Geopolitics and governance Since 1908 seven nations have made formal claims to parts of Antarctica. During the 1940s and 1950s these competing claims led to diplomatic disputes and even armed clashes. In 1948, Argentinean military forces fired on British troops in an area claimed by both countries. The ‘scramble’ for Antarctica intensified in the 1950s. By the end of 1955 a number of countries had created over 20 bases in the Antarctic Peninsula including Argentina, Chile, Britain and the United States of America. The Antarctic Treaty is set within the context of the Cold War, a time when the USA and the Soviet Union were involved in a standoff involving nuclear weapons. The USSR was also beginning to show interest in Antarctica and there were fears that Antarctica could become a pawn in the Cold War. Diplomats designed a treaty setting Antarctica aside as a military free zone and precluded future territorial claims. The treaty was signed by 12 nations (the original 7 with claims on Antarctica plus South Africa, Belgium, Japan, and the Soviet Union). The treaty came into affect in June 1961 and now forms the basis of all policies and management in Antarctica. Antarctic territorial claims Warm up The purpose of the Antarctic Treaty is to ensure, as the preamble notes that: “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.” Antarctica is designated as a continent of peace and cooperation. Find out more about how the spirit of co-operation is demonstrated in Antarctica by looking at the pdf: Classroom Antarctica: Co-operation in Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty system ensures that Antarctica is protected as a place for peace and science. However, some groups may want to apply for permission to use the land, sea, animals or plants of Antarctica for reasons that may conflict with the aims for the Treaty. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Edinburgh June 2006 Activity The Treaty has 14 Articles governing peace, co-operation, science and the putting aside of sovereignty claims. Read a summary on the Cool Antarctica website: Cool Antarctica: Antarctic Treaty Summary Pick four of the articles summarised in the link and discuss why they are different to governance in other parts of the world. Cool facts The provisions of the present Treaty apply to areas south of 60° South Latitude, including all ice shelves. Decisions about the marine areas come primarily under the purview of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, entry into force 1982). CCAMLR is part of the Antarctic Treaty System and meets annually in Hobart to set the regulatory framework for the conservation of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, including through fisheries management. The Commission is made up of 25 Member States, and operates on the basis of consensus. Commission meetings are held in parallel with the meeting of the Scientific Committee, and preceded by meetings of its subsidiary Working Groups on Fish Stock Assessment and Incidental Mortality Associated with Fishing. A UK proposal to designate the world’s first high seas marine protected area (MPA) was successful at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting held in Tasmania in October 2009. The MPA for the South Orkneys is just under 94,000 square kilometers, which is more than 4 times the size of Wales. No fishing activities and no discharge or garbage disposal from fishing vessels will be allowed in the area, which will allow scientists to better monitor the effects of human activities and climate change on the Southern Ocean. It is the world’s first internationally agreed high seas marine protected area. The MPA includes important sections of an oceanographic feature known as the Weddell Front, which marks the northern limit of waters characteristic of the Weddell Sea and the southern limit of the Weddell Scotia Confluence. The Weddell Scotia Confluence is a key habitat for Antarctic krill, one of the main species harvested in the Antarctic and a key focus for CCAMLR. The MPA also includes important foraging areas for Adélie penguins that breed at the South Orkney Islands, and important submarine shelf areas and seamounts, including areas that have recently been shown to have high biodiversity. It is hoped that the South Orkneys MPA will be the first link in a network that will better conserve marine biodiversity in the Antarctic. It will help conserve important ecosystem processes, vulnerable areas, and create reference sites that can be used to make scientific comparisons between fished areas and no-take areas. Such networks will become increasingly important as climate change impacts become increasingly evident in the future. The meeting also adopted a UK-drafted Climate Change Resolution, which urged increased consideration of climate change impacts in the Southern Ocean to better inform CCAMLR management measures. Activity Run the quiz… Activity The Antarctic Treaty Quiz Test yourself! What do you know about the Antarctic Treaty? Activity Why is it necessary to have a separate Commission such as CCAMLR to oversee the management of the Southern Ocean? Find out more about CCAMLR facebooktwitter Explore our sister sites Discovering the Arctic | Discovering Galapagos About Discovering Antarctica | Blog | Links | Terms and conditions | Accessibility | Cookies |