The Antarctic Treaty was signed on December 1, 1959, but it did not come into effect until June 23, 1961, due to the ...

The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have amplified mistrust among treaty members, making co-operation more awkward, says Claire Christian, the executive director of the Antarctic and Southern ...

The Antarctic Treaty has kept the southernmost continent free of weapons, borders and mines for more than 65 years. But with US President Donald Trump’s record of pulling out of global ...

The treaty bans mining in a way that cannot easily be amended before 2048. By that date some mineral extraction there may be desirable, were it to provide resources needed for the green transition.

A first-ever all-Canadian expedition to Antarctica explores the climate changes and political challenges facing the remote continent.

Key Non-armament and Monitoring Provisions in the Antarctic Treaty. In 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, which sought to prevent the use of Antarctica for military purposes while ...

The Antarctic Treaty has stood as a landmark for international cooperation in scientific research and environmental stewardship. Since its signing in 1959, the Treaty has shielded Antarctica from ...

Not much in the public eye until Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s expeditions in the 1930s, Antarctica soon aroused that old flag-planting urge among several nations.

There are voices warning that the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is now “on thin ice” when it comes to governing this region toward a sustainable and peaceful future. Times have changed, but ...

In the early 1980s, a smoldering conflict around guidelines for Antarctic mineral extraction got resolved by the 1991 “Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty,” which ...

A 1998 amendment to the 55-nation Antarctic Treaty, to which both Russia and South Africa are signatories, prohibits all mineral explorations and extractions in the region.