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Antarctica is the only continent on Earth to be completely governed by its very own international agreement. The Antarctic Treaty was adopted in 1959 by the 12 nations present in Antarctica at that time, who agreed to set aside their differences and work peacefully together to carry out scientific research. A further thirty-one nations signed the Treaty after it came into force in 1961, and it is still open to any member of the United Nations. Since the first Consultative Meeting in Canberra in 1961, several measures have been adopted covering such areas as exchange of information; interchange of scientific personnel; preservation of historic sites; conservation of fauna and flora; protection of specific areas; conduct of tourists; mineral resources (CRAMRA); emergency assistance; and operation of the Antarctic Treaty System. Although Antarctica does not have a multisectoral, integrated type of a Regional Seas Action Plan, there were two milestones of particular relevance to the Regional Seas Programme. One was the adoption of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which came into force in 1982 and which pioneered the development of the 'ecosystem approach' to the regulation of fisheries. The second was adoption in 1991 of the Madrid Protocol on protection of the Antarctic environment, which designates Antarctica as a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science'. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic |
