Antarctic Treaty System

international treaties concerning Antarctica

The Antarctic Treaty System is a set of agreements about the continent of Antarctica. It was signed in 1959 and took effect in 1961. So far, it has been signed by 46-48 countries.[1]

The ATS is used for governing the continent. The main idea of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is to make sure that Antarctica is:

  • is used peacefully and taken care of.
  • is not exploited or used for animal hunting.
  • is not involved with military use unless for peaceful purposes.
  • is not owned by one group.
  • is not ruled by any country and/or continent.
  • is not used for violence e.g. testing nuclear missiles.

References change

  1. "ATS - The Antarctic Treaty". ats.aq. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.