The Antarctic Treaty was an unprecedented landmark in political

diplomacy: it reserves the entire continent for peaceful purposes and

scientific research. The treaty also declares the continent as the
world’s first nuclear weapon-free zone and deals with the issue of
territorial claims in an innovative manner. Article I of the treaty
provides for the peaceful use of Antarctica; Article II for international
cooperation and freedom of scientific investigation; Article III for free
exchange of plans, scientific results, and personnel; Article IV for the
nonrenunciation of prior claim rights and for the prohibition of new
claims and the citation of any activities during the treaty term as a
basis for past or future claims; Article V for prohibition of nuclear
explosions or waste disposal; Article VI for application of the treaty to
all areas south of latitude 60° S, excluding the high seas, which come
under international law; Article VII for open inspection of any nation’s
Antarctic operations by any other nation; Article VIII for legal
jurisdiction related to the actions of a country’s nationals while in
Antarctica; Article IX for the provision to conduct periodic meetings
and reporting with respect to science, legal matters, resource
conservation, and international relations; Article X for the
commitment to undertake appropriate efforts by contracting parties to
prevent activities that run contrary to the treaty; Article XI for
reference of disputes to the International Court of Justice if they
cannot be settled by peaceful negotiation or arbitration by the involved
parties; and Article XII for a review of the treaty after it has been in
force for 30 years if such a review is requested by any contracting
party.

As stated in Article IV, the many territorial claims that existed before
the signing of the treaty are not abrogated by signatory nations. An
important provision of the treaty requires periodic meetings of
representatives of signatory nations to take up occasional problems.
Such meetings have agreed upon important measures for conservation
of Antarctic flora and fauna and for the preservation of historic sites.
The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements are collectively called
the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). The granting of consultative status
within the Antarctic Treaty, permitting full participation in its
operation with that of the original 12 contracting states, depends on
long-term scientific commitment. It began in 1977 with the addition
of Poland, followed by West Germany (1981)
and Brazil and India (1983). Several other nations have also acceded
to the treaty and have been granted partial status. As of 2015 the treaty
had 29 consultative parties (including the original signatories) and 25
nonconsultative parties.