Managing the frozen commons - Antarctica: Global Science from a Frozen Continent - page 282

and science. It pertains to all land and ice shelves. The Treaty banned military
activity on the continent other than for peaceful purposes. In this way the Treaty
became the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War. To ensure

that the agreement was adhered to the Treaty de

ned the right of international

inspection. In making Antarctica a scienti c preserve it also established formal

requirements for the exchange of information.
The most fundamental provision is Article IV, which has the

geographical claims in the pre-Treaty situation. While the Treaty is in force no
new claims can be made, existing claims cannot be amended and no activities
can affect the status of pre-Treaty claims.
The Treaty established biennial meetings, called the Antarctic Treaty
Consultative Meetings (ATCM). Here the Contracting Parties would meet to
consult and develop further the management of the continent. At the start the
original 12 parties made up the so-called Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties
(ATCPs). At the ATCMs all decisions of substance need consensus from these
parties. The Treaty opened for accession from other states. Such new members
could participate fully in the discussions, but not in decisions.
The Antarctic Treaty has been a model for other international treaties,
including the one for Outer Space and the inspection provisions in the ABM
agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States.
In 2009 the 32nd ATCM was held, aptly enough, in Washington/Baltimore,
50 years after the signing of the Treaty.

' frozen '

The evolution of the Antarctic Treaty and its role
in environmental management

The Treaty did not remove the disagreements on territorial claims; it suspended
these, and removed the necessity of continually asserting the different national
positions. By setting up a consultation mechanism based on consensus it established
a remarkably successful system for developing solutions in managing the Antarctic.
One might imagine that such a principle would lead to deadlocks over substantial
issues. This has generally not been the case. Instead, the ATCPs have, over the years,
developed a realistic understanding on how to work together even when there are
fundamentally different positions. Understanding this practical application of
consensus is critical to appreciate the evolution of the Treaty.
With the Treaty signed and rati ed the 12 countries set about making it work.

From before the c Committee on

Antarctic Research (SCAR) was directly involved. SCAR was a part of the
International Council of Scienti

first meeting of the Treaty Parties the Scienti

c Unions (ICSU) and thus a nongovernmental body