Territorial Claims to Antarctica

Article IV of the Antarctic Treaty is mainly aimed at freezing the status of Antarctica at the time of the adoption of the treaty. The approach that is adopted in this article should preserve the positions of both States claiming sovereignty over Antarctica and States that do not recognize such claims. This ambiguous approach has so far ensured peace and cooperation within the Antarctic area. In spite of its success, the Antarctic Treaty system is currently subject of criticism both at the internal and external level. Therefore, some adjustments of this system are required to reconcile the diverse positions concerning Antarctic claims and to ensure the widest participation to the governance of Antarctica.