Antarktisztörvénykezés

Antarktisztörvénykezés refers to the legal framework governing activities in Antarctica. This framework is primarily established by the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 by twelve countries, and its subsequent protocols. The treaty designates Antarctica as a continent for peace and science, prohibiting military activities and ensuring freedom of scientific investigation.

The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is a complex web of agreements that regulate various aspects of human presence on the continent. This includes environmental protection, resource management, and territorial claims. While the treaty does not recognize or deny territorial claims, it allows claimant nations to continue their claims while prohibiting new ones.

Key components of the ATS include the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve, devoted to peace and science" and sets out detailed rules for environmental protection. It also establishes a framework for managing tourism and preventing pollution.

Other important agreements within the ATS address issues such as the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, the regulation of Antarctic minerals activities (though currently moratoria are in place), and fisheries management in the Southern Ocean. The system relies on consensus among the Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty to make decisions. Enforcement of these regulations is the responsibility of individual treaty nations.