U.S. Antarctic Policy

The United States has strong diplomatic interests in Antarctica, in particular promoting its status as a continent reserved for peace and science in accordance with the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The United States played a major role in negotiating this Treaty, which was signed in Washington, and it participates actively in all aspects of the Antarctic Treaty System. There are currently 47 Parties to the Treaty, of which 28 are Consultative Parties having the right to participate in decision-making.

The Department of State coordinates U.S. policy on Antarctica, and works closely with the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that administers the U.S. Antarctic Program. The United States maintains three year-round scientific stations with more personnel than any other country. The Department of State leads the U.S. delegation to the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), where the international community discusses a range of issues pertaining to the Continent. The Department also maintains close ties to a recently established Antarctic Secretariat based in Buenos Aires which facilitates communication between parties to the Antarctic Treaty.

The last ATCM was held in June 2008, in Kyiv, Ukraine. The United States will host the XXXII Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2009, the 50^th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty.

Seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, but the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims. While the United States maintains a basis to claim territory in Antarctica, it has not made a claim.

The United States periodically conducts inspections of foreign stations, equipment and vessels under rights of inspection granted in the Antarctic Treaty in order to promote peace and security on the Continent, and to determine whether parties to the Antarctic Treaty are meeting their obligations under the Treaty, its Environmental Protocol and related regulations. The United States' program of inspections helps emphasize that Antarctica is accessible to all countries. The last U.S. inspection, conducted by an interagency team led by the State Department, was undertaken from November 12 to December 1, 2006. This was the twelfth Treaty inspection carried out by the United States since the Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959.

The Department of State is responsible for informing other Treaty Parties of non-governmental expeditions to Antarctica organized in or proceeding from the United States. In this connection, it determines, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation whether expedition organizers are subject to U.S. regulations administered by EPA and NSF related to environmental protection in Antarctica.

The United States is also a party to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a part of the Antarctic Treaty System that promotes conservation of marine resources and sets limits on sustainable fishing in the Southern Ocean. The U.S. Commissioner to CCAMLR is a State Department official who heads the U.S. delegation to the annual Commission meetings in Hobart, Australia.

The Department of State strongly supports the International Polar Year (IPY), an intense scientific campaign to explore new frontiers in polar science, improve our understanding of the critical role of the polar regions in global processes, and educate the public about the polar regions. IPY will extend from March 2007 through March 2009. The Department plans to feature IPY and its accomplishments when it hosts the 50^th anniversary Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2009.

More information about the State Department's role in promoting U.S. interests in Antarctica is available by contacting the Office of Oceans Affairs at (202) 647-0237.

Related links:

• National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs
• United States Antarctic Program
• Environmental Protection Agency
• International Polar Year (US Government)
• U.S. National Academies of Science Polar Research Board
•  Antarctic Treaty Secretariat
• Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
• International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators  

Treaties and Conventions

• The Antarctic Treaty, 1959
• Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1982
• Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, 1972
• Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, 1988 (not ratified by any party)
• Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, 1991