Is Antarctica the new Eldorado? The sixth continent between claims and international law

[Judi Lynn]

Published 4 hours ago on May 5, 2021By Giancarlo Elia Valori

December 1, 2019 marked the 60th anniversary of the signing in Washington of the Antarctic Treaty, the main legal instrument for managing practical activities and regulating interstate relations in the territory 60°parallel South.

On May 2, 1958, the U.S. State Department sent invitations to the governments of Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, the then South African Union and the USSR for the International Antarctic Conference. It was proposed to convene it in Washington in 1959. The group of participants at the Conference was limited to the countries that had carried out Antarctic projects as part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) (July 1957-December 1958).

The Soviet Union supported the idea of convening a Conference. In a letter of reply, the Kremlin stressed that the outcome of the Conference should be the International Treaty on Antarctica with the following basic principles: peaceful use of Antarctica with a total ban on military activities in the region and freedom of scientific research and exchange of information between the Parties to the Treaty.

The Soviet government also proposed expanding the group of participants at the Conference to include all parties interested in the issue.

In those years, the international legal resolution of the Antarctic problem had become an urgent task. In the first half of the 20th century, territorial claims to Antarctica had been expressed by Australia, Argentina, Chile, France, Great Britain, New Zealand and Norway.

More:
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2021/05/05/is-antarctica-the-new-eldorado-the-sixth-continent-between-claims-and-international-law/

[jimfields33]

1. France, Norway and Great Britain should have no right to Antarctica

But Australia, New Zealand Argentina and Chile have a better chance. But really just leave Antarctica alone.

[Submariner]

2. With all the CO2 we're throwing up in the atmosphere

The Antarctic could be an ice free rock in two or three centuries, and be built up with vacation condos for Snowbirds to escape the 130 degree in the shade temperatures in NYC. So every country is going to want a piece of that pie.