Antarctica is a very unique region of the planet from many perspectives (geological, geographical, political …). In addition to being the southernmost continent in the world, it is also the highest, driest, windiest, coldest and icy continent in the world, and the only one on the planet that does not have a native population. Antarctica is about 14.2 million square kilometers in size, and thick ice covers about 98% of the land. This causes it to have a very specific biodiversity, and also makes it difficult for humans to colonize.
Its discovery cannot be attributed to a single person. Although in the 18th century there were various reconnaissance navigations in its environment, it was the historic expedition of Roald Amundsen on December 14, 1911 that marked a turning point in the conquest of this region of the planet. From the late 18th century to the 1930s, whaling and sealing was the main economic activity in the Antarctic regions. After hunting decimated the populations of these animals and the demand for these products declined, the hunting of whales and seals collapsed. Scientific exploration showed that while there are mineral riches in Antarctica, the conditions for profitable extraction do not exist and, over time, scientific activities became the main political and economic activity in Antarctica.
Fortunately, scientific knowledge and the advancement of awareness of the protection of the environment, as well as the climate of international cooperation between states led to the drafting and signing (by more than 50 countries) of the Antarctic Treaty, which entered into force. in 1961.
Juan Manuel Faramiñán is a professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the University of Jaén and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) of The Hague: “The important thing is that we must maintain the criterion that Antarctica will only be used for peaceful ; All maneuvers, military tests, with atomic and non-atomic weapons are prohibited in this region of the planet ”, says Faramiñán during an interview with VERY INTERESTING.
Sovereignty of Antarctica
Faramiñán explains that Antarctica sovereignty has historically been claimed by many states : “Now these demands have been ‘frozen’ because a cooperation criterion has been established thanks to the Antarctic Treaty.”
The first states to claim Antarctica are nearby states like Chile and Argentina during the 1940s. In fact, before the signing of the treaty, different proposals took place to define its sovereignty, as Faramiñán details us: “There is the Theory of the Sectors, which designs an imaginary triangle whose epicenter is the South Pole.
There is another proposal elaborated by Pinochet de la Barra, the Quadrant Theory, based on criteria of a geographical nature: the South American quadrant, the Pacific, the Australian, and the African. For their part, France and Norway speak of the theory of discovery or symbolic occupation ”.
To avoid discussion about who should have sovereignty over these lands, this international cooperation system was established, constituted by the signing of the treaty. “A consultative status is also established – hence the meetings held every two years – and all the member states affirm that they agree to speak of the interest of humanity and the freedom of scientific research in the continent, guaranteeing its peaceful uses. ”, Explains the expert. In essence, the Antarctic Treaty constitutes a legal tool that establishes a peaceful coexistence between states.
Although Antarctica is the only continent in the world – as we pointed out at the beginning of the article – that does not have a native population, there are many bases from different countries, some of them permanent and others temporary. “Among the established bases, in principle, the military aims are denied by the countries,” says Faramiñán.
The concerns of the Antarctic continent in 2021
Once the objective of the treaty has been delimited, and the commitment of the member states to comply with it has been established, it is worth dwelling on the objective of the consultative meetings that take place every two years, and whose 43rd edition has just been held online in Paris.
The main concern of these meetings is no longer so much the discussion about the sovereignty of Antarctica as its conservation and the protection of its biodiversity, as well as the delimitation of rules for carrying out activities such as scientific research or tourism.
“In addition to the deterioration of the continent caused by climate change, the problem of plankton is also very worrying,” explains Juan Manuel Faramiñán. “Plankton is food for whales and in recent decades there has been an excess collection, which implies a subsistence problem for these cetaceans .”
43rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting: the role of Spain
The 43rd Consultative Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty coincides with the 60th anniversary of the entry into force of the treaty, and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Environmental Protection Protocol signed in Madrid in 1991 – the protocol is integrated into the Antarctic Treaty and is known as the Madrid protocol. In each of these biannual meetings, two working groups are established: one for institutional and legal matters; and another scientist and tourism. As quoted on the official website of Moncloa, “this second Working Group is co-chaired by Sonia Ramos, from the Technical Secretariat of the Spanish Polar Committee of the Ministry of Science and Innovation”, being the first time that Spain has acquired such a level representation in these consultative meetings.
Scientific research in Antarctica
Antarctica is a natural reserve and its sovereignty is shared by all humanity, which is committed to its protection and its peaceful uses. In addition, as we have mentioned, freedom of scientific investigation is allowed. In fact, Antarctica is a privileged area to carry out certain scientific initiatives.
For example, the Antarctic Transitive Impulse Antenna (ANITA), an instrument that flies over Antarctica 40 kilometers high in the shape of a balloon, is capable of detecting ultra-high-energy neutrinos, which are captured ‘indirectly’ thanks to the ice. Due to the unique characteristics of Antarctica, which has a total absence of interference of other types, cosmic particles interact with ice, and it is this rebound that allows their detection.
Another example is Homeward Bound, an Australian project aimed at giving visibility to women scientists in the context of climate change associated with the degradation of the Antarctic ecosystem.
