Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Article 9 of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty
Representatives of the Contracting Parties named in the preamble to the present Treaty
shall meet at the City of Canberra within two months after the date of entry into force of
the Treaty, and thereafter at suitable intervals and places, for the purpose of exchanging in-
formation, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, and
formulating and considering, and recommending to their Governments, measures in fur-
therance of the principles and objectives of the Treaty, including measures regarding:
1.
Use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes only;
2.
Facilitation of scientific research in Antarctica;
3.
Facilitation of international scientific cooperation in Antarctica;
4.
Facilitation of the exercise of the rights of inspection provided for in Article VII of
the Treaty;
5.
Questions relating to the exercise of jurisdiction in Antarctica;
6.
Preservation and conservation of living resources in Antarctica.
The first Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Canberra initiated a new entry
into the diplomatic calendar. All the parties committed themselves to meet every two years
to formally consider the workings of what was later to be termed the Antarctic Treaty Sys-
tem (ATS). This term is widely used to describe the 1959 Antarctic Treaty plus those meas-
ures negotiated by the ATCPs under Article 9 of the treaty. This might include treaties,
measures, decisions, and recommendations. While Antarctic scientists in particular would
continue to meet and exchange information more frequently, the governance process was
shaped by those biennial encounters - a remarkable thing in itself, and a sure sign that those
addressing the Antarctic were subject to less immediate pressures. Significantly, Article
9 acknowledged that the 'preservation and conservation of living resources in Antarctica'
was a topic worthy of further negotiation and possible additional measures.
Over the proceeding 50 years, four major trends emerged. First, the Antarctic Treaty was
buttressed and extended by additional legal instruments addressing conservation, resource
management, and environmental protection.
Legal instruments supplementing the Antarctic Treaty
