ABSTRACT
The Antarctic Treaty was originally framed to address political issues and to ensure that scientific research could be conducted in a demilitarised continent free from sovereignty disputes or Cold War antagonism. During the period of its existence, however, there have been significant changes in the wider global geopolitical framework, new challenges have emerged from external sources, and resources and environmental protection have become high priorities. This was underpinned by developments in political thinking, including the New International Economic Order and the principle of the Common Heritage of Mankind embodied in the Law of the Sea Convention. The positive response of the treaty parties to the environmental agenda, through the development of the Protocol on Environmental Protection, has increased the legitimacy of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) in the eyes of its critics, whereas Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA) failed the test of international.
