MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Annual Antarctic Treaty Conference Opens Monday in Uruguay
Uruguay is hosting two Antarctic Treaty meetings which will officially be opened Monday May 3 in Punta del Este by Foreign Affairs minister Luís Almagro. Uruguayan authorities expect an attendance of over 350 foreign officials at the Thirty three Antarctic Treaty Consultative and the Thirteenth Committee on Environmental Protection meetings. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesAnother area where Argentina is making a spurious claim against British territory, albeit with even less historic or legal support than their ridiculous claim to the Falkland Islands.
May 03rd, 2010 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's probably down to childish geography again, i.e. the Antartic is closer to us than you!
Of course Argentina has declined 4 offers by the UK to take the matter to the ICJ. Even with no resident populations to upset, they still know that the Argentine case is so weak it would get laughed out of the court !
Hoytred, the only ridiculous and childish things here are your comments. You have no education whatsoever. First of all, the fact that you consider geography something childish shows your IQ level. On the other hand, you say that there's no historic support... Well, what have you been drinking before writing here. Do you know what is the world's first base in the Antarctic region, operating continuously till these days? Have you heard the name of Orcadas Base? Not to mention thousand of historic support examples you would'nt understand.
May 03rd, 2010 - 04:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Reffering to your 4 declined offers by the UK to take the matter to the ICJ... Well, what can I say... I'll explain something to you. States don't take these issues to the ICJ because of the simple fact that there's a treaty (the one that is mentioned in this article, the same one you have no clue about) wich says that these issues are frozen, the only thing every State could do was to claim sovereignty by submitting it. By the way, every country can settle bases in the antartica. Which is true is that probably Argentina doesn't have more rights than UK or Chile, however Argentina doesn't have less rights either... It's not over discussion until the treaty unfroze these subjects. I kindly invite you to read this document and not to give opinions as if you were in a soccer match.
I'm not sure where PABLOz is going with his comment. The facts, as far as I have been able to determine them, was that the weather station currently known as Orcadas Base was established by Dr. William S. Bruce's Scottish National Antarctic Expedition on Laurie Island. Having reached an agreement with the Argentine government to maintain the station, Bruce transported three Argentine scientific assistants to Omond House, as it was then known, and then handed over the building, its furnishings and provisions, together with all magnetic and meteorological instruments, to the Argentine government.
May 03rd, 2010 - 08:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So I guess that means that Argentina has a weather station on Laurie Island built by a Scottish, i.e. British, expedition and then given to it.
PABLOz - you define your own IQ by your comments - something less than your collar size I assume?
May 04th, 2010 - 12:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina lays claim spuriously to South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and a large portion of the UK's claim in Antartica. These disputes were subject of an offer by the UK not only to take them to the ICJ but the UK agreed in advance to abide by any decision the ICJ made. Argentina turned tail and ran.
And it is important. The current moratorium on the Antartic will not remain forever, particularly as natural resources become increasing difficult to find. The ice pack is retreating and more sea bed is becoming available for exploration. The Antaric is likely to be the next international war zone and it would be better if the disputes could be sorted before more warlike action arises.
And, geography is not much of an argument. It has no standing in international law and will not be seen as a factor when the Antartic is finally carved up!
Go back and watch your soccer match .... it's as much as you can cope with ...
Perhaps I should also add -
May 04th, 2010 - 02:08 am - Link - Report abuse 01. The Atlantic TReaty has only 47 signatories and came into force in 1961, 7 years after Britains last attempt to settle its dispute with Argentina at the ICJ
2. Article 4 clearly states that the treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force. In other words, territorial disputes remain just that!
3. The British claim was made in 1908. Argentina, as usual, came in late in 1942.
Just for your information.
#5 wrong information...
May 05th, 2010 - 07:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0ivo - please explain which piece of information is wrong, and please give your reasoning!
May 05th, 2010 - 10:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0I do try to be factual, and am willing to accept a reasoned challenge!
Believe it or not Holytred, but the UK and Argentina nearly came to blows over Antartica in the 1950's
May 05th, 2010 - 10:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=13069&amid=13069
A little known bit of hidden history.......
Well Pabloz I would be intrigue to sees these thousands of documented evidences supporting your weak claim, are they all maps per chance showing Antarctica as an integral province of Argentina?
May 06th, 2010 - 08:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0As For Orcadas base, I think that demonstrates little more than the fact Argentina owns a base in Antarctica, congratulations.
As for the other 50,000 km2 of British territory good luck in trying to find something that overrides the 1918 and 1934 letters of patent, submitted without even a whimper of protest from Argentina.
So then what does that leave Argentina with a tiny hut and a quirk of geographic proximity.
Argentina is just embarrassing itself !
All sovereignity claims over Antarctic territories are completely absurd. History taught us that self-determination and sovereignity comes after long periods of continuous settlements. In modern times, to claim that a territory belongs to a nation because a certain explorer planted a flag and built a hut a century ago is as absurd as pretending that geographic proximity gives the same rights. On such grounds the moon belongs to the U.S.A., and Canada has rights over Alaska.
May 06th, 2010 - 01:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0To true jwalt, to true
May 06th, 2010 - 03:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0first sorry my english really suck XD. Pabloz in right in something, all claims in Antarctic are just that claims because Chile, England and Argentina sign this treaty so no country have sovereign over Antarctica
May 07th, 2010 - 12:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0quote “ Argentina doesn't have more rights than UK or Chile” right now Antartic belong to the world
post scriptum: the treaty is on internet
I think some of you need to re-check that treaty. It stops further claims but does not deal with existing claims.
May 07th, 2010 - 06:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0Much as it would be nice to believe that the Antartic belonged to the world I suspect you would be naive if you actually believed that. A future war zone I believe!
comment removed by the editor
May 07th, 2010 - 09:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0it´s true no one have rights over antartic at this moment, antartic belong to the world but I´m agree antartic will be the next war zone
May 07th, 2010 - 02:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Article IV - Territorial sovereignty
May 12th, 2010 - 04:52 am - Link - Report abuse 01. Nothing contained in the present Treaty shall be interpreted as:
a. a renunciation by any Contracting Party of previously asserted rights of or claims to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica;
b. a renunciation or diminution by any Contracting Party of any basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica which it may have whether as a result of its activities or those of its nationals in Antarctica, or otherwise;
c. prejudicing the position of any Contracting Party as regards its recognition or non-recognition of any other State‚s rights of or claim or basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica.
2. 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 in Antarctica shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force.
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