Peaceful Purposes Only

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 17

Peaceful Purposes Only

A summary of the articles in the Antarctic treaty follows: “(1) Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only. There shall be prohibited, inter alia, any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military manoeuvres, as well as the testing of any type of weapons. The present treaty shall not prevent the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose. “(2) Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end, as applied during the International Geophysical Year, shall continue, subject to the provisions of the present treaty. “(3) In order to promote international co-operation in scientific investigation in Antarctica, the contracting parties agree that, to the greatest extent feasible and “Information regarding plans for scientific programmes in Antarctica shall be exchanged. “Scientific personnel shall be exchanged.

■Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.

“Nothing contained in the present treaty shall be interpreted as a renunciation by any contracting party of previously asserted rights of or claims to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica: a renunciation or diminution by any contracting party of any basis of claim to territorial sovereignty which it may have, whether as a result of its activities or those of its nationals in Antarctica, or otherwise: prejudicing the position of/any contracting party as regards its recognition or non-re-cognition of any other State’s right of or claim or basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica. "No acts or activities taking place while the present treaty is in force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica or create any rights of sovereignty in Antarctica. No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty shall be asserted while the present treaty is in force.

No Bomb Tests “(5) Any nuclear explosions in Antarctica and the disposal there of radioactive waste material shall be prohibited. In the event of the conclusion of international agreements concerning the use of nuclear energy, the rules established under such agreements shall apply in Antarctica. “(6) The provisions of the present treaty shall apply to the

area south of 60 degrees south latitude, including all ice shelves, but nothing in the present treaty shall prejudice the rights of any States under international law with regard to the high seas within that area.

“(7) Each contracting party shall have the right to designate observers to carry out any inspection provided for by the present article. Observers shall be nationals of the contracting parties which designate them. Each observer shall have complete freedom of access at any time to any or all areas of Antarctica. “(8) Observers designated shall be subject only to the jurisdiction of the contracting party of which they are nationals in respect of all acts or omissions occurring while they are in Antarctica for the purpose of exercising their functions.

“(9) Representatives of the contracting parties shall meet at Canberra within two months after the date of entry into force of the treaty, and thereafter at suitable intervals and places, for the purpose of exchanging information, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, and formulating and considering, and recommending to their Governments, measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of the treaty. “(10) Each of the contracting parties undertakes to exert appropriate efforts, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, to the end that no-one engages in any activity in Antarctica contrary to the principles or purposes of the present treaty. Settling Disputes

“(11) If any dispute arises . . . contracting parties shall consult among themselves with a view to having the dispute resolved by negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other peaceful means of ther own choice. Any dispute of this character not so resolved shall, with the consent, in each case, of all parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice for settlement.

“(12) The present treaty may be modified or amended at any time by unanimous agreement of the contracting parties. It after the expiration of 30 years, any of the contracting parties so requests, a conference of all the contracting parties shall be held as soon as practicable to review the operation of the treaty. “(13) The present treaty shall be subject to ratification by the signatory States. It shall be open for accession by any State which is a member of the United Nations, or by any other State which may be invited to accede to the treaty with the consent of all contracting parties. “(14) The present treaty shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the United ’States.”