Context: The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46), that was held in Kochi, Kerala last month, it highlighted the debate on Antarctic tourism.
About Antarctic Treaty
While the meeting sought to bring in a regulatory framework, it ultimately fell short of a definitive solution, reflecting the complex challenges of managing tourism in a region governed by international consensus and where the environment is rapidly changing.
Antarctic Treaty Explained: 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 57.
Original Signatories:
The treaty was initially signed by 12 countries:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium
- Chile
- France
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Norway
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Soviet Union (now succeeded by Russia)
Some important provisions of the Treaty:
- Article I: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only.
- Article II: Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end… shall continue.
- Article III: Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.
- Article IV: The treaty does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force.
- Article V: Any nuclear explosions and disposal of radioactive waste in Antarctica are prohibited.
- Article VII: Provides for inspection by observers from any member country, ensuring compliance with the treaty.
- Article IX: Parties to the treaty shall meet periodically to discuss measures to further the objectives of the treaty.
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Antarctic treaty and India:
India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983. With the other 28 Consultative Parties, India has a crucial role in governing Antarctica’s scientific exploration and environmental protection.
