Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite
Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 81 - 86, 02.06.2022
https://doi.org/10.30897/ijegeo.907991

Abstract

References

  • ATS (1964). Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/3 5?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=4&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=3 (URL 1)
  • ATS (1972). Recommendation VII-6, Study and Discussion of the Exploitation of Antarctic mineral resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www .ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/97?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 2)
  • ATS (1975). Recommendation VIII-14, Antarctic Mineral Resources and Environmental Impact. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/Measure/114?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 3)
  • ATS (1977). Recommendation IX-1, Future Regime on Antarctic Mineral Resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/1 17?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 4)
  • ATS (1979). Recommendation X-1, Preparation for an Antarctic Mineral Resources Regime. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meeting s/Measure/123?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 5)
  • ATS (1988). Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/3 55?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 6)
  • ATS (2009). Washington Ministerial Declaration on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meeti ngs/DocDatabase?lang=e (URL 7)
  • ATS (2016). Resolution 6 (2016), Confirming Ongoing Commitment to the Prohibition on Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, Other than for Scientific Research; Support for the Antarctic Mining Ban. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/Measure/642?s=1&from=06/01/2016&to=06/01/2016&cat=0&top=0&type=4&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 8)
  • ATS (2019). Prague Declaration on the Occasion of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/DocDatabase?lang=e (URL 9)
  • Joyner, C.C. (1992). The 1991 Madrid Environmental Protocol: Rethinking the World Park Status of Antarctica. Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, 1(3), 328-339.
  • National Polar Science Programme (2018-2022). Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://kare.mam.tubita k.gov.tr/en/right-menu/turkish-national-polar-science -program-2018-2022 (URL 10)
  • Regulation on the Implementation of Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://kare.mam.tubita k.gov.tr/en/news/new-regulation-environmental-prote ction-enters-force (URL 11)
  • Rothwell, D.R. (1996). The Polar Regions and the Development of International Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  • UNTC (1961). The Antarctic Treaty. Signed at Washington, on 1 December 1959. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UN TS/Volume%20402/volume-402-I-5778 English.pdf (URL 12)
  • UNTC (1972). Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https:// treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201080/volume-1080-I-16529-English.pdf (URL 13)
  • UNTC (1983). Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publica tion/UNTS/Volume%201329/volume-1329-I-22301-English.pdf (URL 14)
  • UNTC (1991). Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%202941/volume-2941-A-5778.pdf (URL 15)

Regulation of Mineral Resource Activities in Antarctica

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 81 - 86, 02.06.2022
https://doi.org/10.30897/ijegeo.907991

Abstract

Mineral resource activities in Antarctica were brought to the agenda at the 6th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) held in Tokyo for the first time in 1970. The Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA), which regulates the issue in detail, could not enter into force after France and Australia decided not to sign the Convention. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (PEPAT) was signed after the Special ATCMs that took place in Madrid in 1991 to review the Antarctic Treaty. The Protocol entered into force on 14 January 1998, after the ratification of all Consultative Parties. PEPAT, which does not modify the Antarctic Treaty in any way, is among the legal documents within the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) as its annex. Unlike CRAMRA, with the provision of PEPAT Article 7, mineral resource activities are completely prohibited. The only exception to the related prohibition is mineral resource activities for scientific research. This does not mean that the mentioned activities will be carried out in an unlimited way. These activities are subject to PEPAT and Annex 1 Environmental Impact Assessment. Continuity of the absolute prohibition of mineral resource activities is a significant issue. Accordingly, in accordance with Article 25/1 of PEPAT, provisions of the PEPAT may be modified or amended by the unanimous agreement of the Consultative Parties including Article 7. Apart from this, in the ongoing paragraph of the same article, after the expiration of 50 years from the date of entry into force of PEPAT, this period corresponds to 2048, a conference will be held to review the functioning of PEPAT with the notification of any of the Consultative Parties. It was envisaged that the proposed amendments to the PEPAT at the Review Conference would be adopted by a majority of the Parties, including 3/4 of the States which are Consultative Parties at the time of PEPAT's entry into force (1998), including Article 7, which prohibits mineral resource activities. When signed, PEPAT, which is considered to be difficult to enter into force since all of the Consultative Parties' approval has to be given, took effect in line with the emergence of the common interest in this direction. This shows the Consultative Parties' commitment to the protection of Antarctica and especially the prohibition of mineral resource activities. The determination in question was once again expressed by the Declaration published after the 32nd ATCM and the Resolution adopted in the 39th ATCM, although they were not legally binding. Especially in the Resolution, the emphasis on both the continuity of the prohibition on mineral resource activities and the incorrect belief in the media that PEPAT will be expired in 2048 is noteworthy.

References

  • ATS (1964). Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/3 5?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=4&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=3 (URL 1)
  • ATS (1972). Recommendation VII-6, Study and Discussion of the Exploitation of Antarctic mineral resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www .ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/97?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 2)
  • ATS (1975). Recommendation VIII-14, Antarctic Mineral Resources and Environmental Impact. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/Measure/114?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 3)
  • ATS (1977). Recommendation IX-1, Future Regime on Antarctic Mineral Resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/1 17?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 4)
  • ATS (1979). Recommendation X-1, Preparation for an Antarctic Mineral Resources Regime. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meeting s/Measure/123?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 5)
  • ATS (1988). Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meetings/Measure/3 55?s=1&from=1/1/1958&to=1/1/2158&cat=10&top=0&type=0&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 6)
  • ATS (2009). Washington Ministerial Declaration on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Meeti ngs/DocDatabase?lang=e (URL 7)
  • ATS (2016). Resolution 6 (2016), Confirming Ongoing Commitment to the Prohibition on Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, Other than for Scientific Research; Support for the Antarctic Mining Ban. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/Measure/642?s=1&from=06/01/2016&to=06/01/2016&cat=0&top=0&type=4&stat=0&txt=&curr=0&page=1 (URL 8)
  • ATS (2019). Prague Declaration on the Occasion of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://www.ats.aq/dev AS/Meetings/DocDatabase?lang=e (URL 9)
  • Joyner, C.C. (1992). The 1991 Madrid Environmental Protocol: Rethinking the World Park Status of Antarctica. Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, 1(3), 328-339.
  • National Polar Science Programme (2018-2022). Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://kare.mam.tubita k.gov.tr/en/right-menu/turkish-national-polar-science -program-2018-2022 (URL 10)
  • Regulation on the Implementation of Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://kare.mam.tubita k.gov.tr/en/news/new-regulation-environmental-prote ction-enters-force (URL 11)
  • Rothwell, D.R. (1996). The Polar Regions and the Development of International Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  • UNTC (1961). The Antarctic Treaty. Signed at Washington, on 1 December 1959. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UN TS/Volume%20402/volume-402-I-5778 English.pdf (URL 12)
  • UNTC (1972). Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https:// treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201080/volume-1080-I-16529-English.pdf (URL 13)
  • UNTC (1983). Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publica tion/UNTS/Volume%201329/volume-1329-I-22301-English.pdf (URL 14)
  • UNTC (1991). Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, Retrieved 1 March 2021 from https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%202941/volume-2941-A-5778.pdf (URL 15)
There are 17 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Human Geography
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Nasıh Sarp Ergüven 0000-0003-4610-2515

Burcu Ozsoy 0000-0003-4320-1796

Sinan Yirmibeşoğlu

Özgün Oktar

Publication Date June 2, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 9 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Ergüven, N. S., Ozsoy, B., Yirmibeşoğlu, S., Oktar, Ö. (2022). Regulation of Mineral Resource Activities in Antarctica. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics, 9(2), 81-86. https://doi.org/10.30897/ijegeo.907991