MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina celebrates 65th Anniversary of Antarctic Treaty

Argentina has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since it entered into force in 1961

The Government of Argentina celebrated Sunday the 65th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty which, Buenos Aires insisted in a statement, “established the exclusively peaceful use of Antarctica and promoted scientific cooperation on the sixth continent.”

The document went on: “On December 1, 1959, twelve countries, including Argentina, signed in Washington the Antarctic Treaty, an unprecedented historic agreement.”

The Treaty, which entered into force on June 23, 1961, “was signed with the aim of ensuring freedom of scientific research and the promotion of international cooperation for scientific purposes in Antarctica, and to guarantee that it would have exclusively peaceful uses,” the Liberal administration further stated.

Argentina's commitment “is reflected in the implementation of the National Antarctic Policy, established in 1990 by Decree No. 2316, which prioritizes the strengthening of the Treaty system, the conservation of natural resources and environmental protection, in addition to guaranteeing a robust scientific and logistical presence.”

“The Argentine Antarctic Program, led by the National Antarctic Directorate and the Argentine Antarctic Institute, coordinates high-impact research projects covering glaciology, biology, and oceanography,” Buenos Aires also pointed out.

The signatory countries were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, the United States, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the then-Soviet Union.

Argentina has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since it entered into force in 1961. Consultative Parties (with voice and vote) have demonstrated an interest in Antarctica through the conduction of important scientific research either by opening a Base or by carrying out an expedition to Antarctica. The Treaty currently has 54 Parties, but only 29 Consultative Parties while the rest are Adhering Parties. They meet annually to make the necessary decisions to ensure its proper implementation.

Seven of the twelve original signatories maintained sovereignty claims in different sectors of Antarctica at that time, including Argentina and the so-called “Argentine Antarctic Sector” marked by the 60º South parallel as the northern limit, and the meridians 25º and 74º West longitude, thus overlapping with claims by Chile and the United Kingdom.