Antarctica: The Next Decade: Report of a Group Study Chaired by Sir Anthony Parsons (Studies in Polar Research)

177 Pages·1987·1.66 MB·English

by  Anthony Parsons

Antarctica: the next decade
Studies in Polar Research
This series of publications reflects the growth of research activity in and about the polar
regions, and provides a means of disseminating the results. Coverage is international and
interdisciplinary: the books will be relatively short (about 200 pages), but fully illustrated.
Most will be surveys of the present state of knowledge in a given subj ect rather than research
reports, conference proceedings or collected papers. The scope of the series is wide and will
include studies in all the biological, physical and social sciences.
Editorial Board
R. J. Adie, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge
T. E. Armstrong (chairman), Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge
D. J. Drewry, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge
S. W. Greene, Department of Botany, University of Reading
B. Stonehouse, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge
P. Wadhams, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge
D. W. Walton, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge
I. Whitaker, Department of Anthropology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Other titles in this series:
The Antarctic Circumpolar Ocean
Sir George Deacon
The Living Tundra
Yu. I. Chernov, translated by D. Love
Transit Management in the Northwest Passage
edited by C. Lamson and D. Vanderzwaag
Arctic Air Pollution
edited by B. Stonehouse
The Antarctic Treaty Regime
edited by Gillian D. Triggs
Canada's Arctic Waters in International Law
Donat Pharand
Vegetation of the Soviet Polar Deserts
V. Aleksandrova, translated by D. Love
Antarctic Mineral Exploitation: The Emerging Legal Framework
Francisco Orrego Vicuna
ANTARCTICA
THE NEXT DECADE
Report of a Study Group
Chairman
SIR ANTHONY PARSONS
The David Davies Memorial Institute of
International Studies
The right of the
University of Cambridge
to print and sell
a/I manner of books
was granted by-
Henry VIII in 1534.
The University has printed
and published continuously
since 1584.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge
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Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RP
32 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA
10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
© The David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies 1987
First published 1987
British Library cataloguing in publication data
Antarctica: the next decade: report of a
study group. - (Studies in Polar research).
1. Antarctic Treaty (1959)
I. Parsons, Sir Anthony II. Series
341.4'2 JX4084.A5
ISBN 0 521 331811
Transferred to digital printing 2004
The David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies is an unofficial body which
promotes the study of International Relations in all its aspects. It is precluded by its
Constitution from advocating any particular view, or engaging in any form of political
propaganda. The opinions expressed in this book are the responsibility of the authors.
PN
Contents
Acronyms VI
The Study Group viii
Preface ix
Political map of Antarctica xi
Geographical map of Antarctica xii
Parti The Antarctic Treaty System under stress? 1
1 The Antarctic Treaty I: its original and continuing value 3
2 The Antarctic Treaty II: the case for change 17
3 The Antarctic Treaty III: non-governmental organisations,
conservation and the environment 34
Part II Uses of Antarctica 45
4 Science 47
5 Living resources and conservation 64
6 Mineral resources 76
7 Military potential 98
Part III The future 109
Appendices 125
I Text of the Antarctic Treaty 125
II Texts of relevant Conventions and UN Resolutions 131
III Antarctic Treaty Member States and their affiliations 156
IV Members of the UN Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement 157
Notes and references 159
Index 163
Acronyms
ASAT Anti-Satellite
ASOC Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
ASW Anti-Submarine Warfare
ATCM Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
ATCP Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party
ATS Antarctic Treaty System
BIOMASS Biological Investigations of Marine Antarctic Systems and Stocks
BIOTAS Biological Investigations of Terrestrial Antarctic Systems
CC AMLR Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources
CC AS Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
DSDP Deep Sea Drilling Programme
ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Council
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office
FOBS Fractional Orbital Bombardment System
G A United Nations General Assembly
GLORIA Geological Long Range Inclined ASDIC
G77 Group of 77
IAEA International Atomic Energy Authority
ICNAF International Commission for North Atlantic Fisheries
ICSU International Council for Scientific Unions
IGY International Geophysical Year
IIED International Institute for Environment and Development
IMF International Monetary Fund
ISTP International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Programme
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources
Acronyms vn
IWC International Whaling Convention; International Whaling Commission
MAP Middle Atmosphere Programme
NAM Non-Aligned Movement
NEAFC North East Atlantic Fisheries Convention/Commission
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NIEO New International Economic Order
OAU Organisation of African Unity
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
SALT Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
SCOR Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research
SLBM Sea-Launched Ballistic Missile
SPA Specially Protected Area
SSBN Submarine, Ballistic, Nuclear
SSN Submarine, Nuclear
SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNEP United Nations Educational Programme
UNESCO-IOC United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
VLF Very Low Frequency
WCRP World Climate Research Programme
WMO World Meteorological Organisation
The Study Group
Sir Anthony Parsons Chairman
Col. Jonathan Alford late Deputy Director, International Institute of Strategic
Studies, London
Mr Alan Archer formerly Assistant Director, British Geological Survey
Dr John Beddington IIED/IUCN Marine Resources Assessment Group,
Centre for Environmental Technology, Imperial College of Science &
Technology, London
The Earl of Cranbrook Member of the House of Lords Select Committee on
Science & Technology, the Natural Environment Research Council, and of the
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Dr John Heap Polar Regions Section, South America Department, Foreign
& Commonwealth Office, London
Dr Martin Holdgate Chief Scientist, Department of the Environment, London
Mr Geoffrey Larminie formerly External Affairs Co-ordinator, Health, Safety
& Environmental Affairs Services, British Petroleum, London
Dr Dick Laws formerly Director, British Antarctic Survey
HE Mr Chris Pinto formerly Chairman of the Sri Lanka delegation to the 3rd
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea
Mr Richard Sandbrook Vice President for Policy, International Institute for
Environment and Development, London
Mr Arthur Watts Deputy Legal Adviser, Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
London
Dr David Millar Rapporteur
The David Davies Memorial Institute
Miss Sheila Harden Director
Miss Mary Unwin Assistant
Miss Esme Allen Secretary
Preface
In 1985 the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies
decided to embark on a study of the future of Antarctica. I was invited to
chair a Group to produce a book covering the principal aspects of this
subject. What follows is the result of our work which has extended over
several meetings and a period of about eighteen months.
There is no doubt about the timeliness of this exercise. Many factors are
converging in such a way as to oblige governments and other interested
bodies to focus their attention on developments in and regarding Antarc-
tica. First, the Antarctic Treaty contains a provision which could open the
way for proposals from within the membership for modification or
amendment of the Treaty after the expiration of 30 years from its entry
into force. This date, 1991, is getting close. Second, an outside challenge
to the continuation of the Treaty in its present form has been gathering
momentum at the United Nations since 1982. A group of non-aligned
States, led by Malaysia, have been canvassing the argument that the
present arrangements are too exclusive, particularly in the light of the
possibility, however remote, of commercial exploitation of Antarctic
mineral and other resources. They are advocating that a more universal
system should be negotiated in replacement or extension of the Antarctic
Treaty: this would apply to the continent the notion of the 'common
heritage of mankind' as enshrined in the Convention on the Law of the
Sea, thus bringing Antarctica into line with the concepts of the New
International Economic Order.
This initiative has led to a division between the Treaty membership,
who advocate the abiding virtues of the present system as it has evolved
over the past nearly three decades, and a majority of the Non-Aligned
Movement. This disagreement was illustrated for the first time by three
split votes on resolutions in the 40th session of the UN General Assembly