A continent without indigenous inhabitants, with a climate not very suitable for human existence, Antarctica has been incorporated into international life thanks to the advancement of science and technology, which suggests the use of its innumerable riches. We are facing a unique case, unprecedented in International Law. In a continent dedicated to peace, without military bases, it is difficult for us to accept the idea that it could be exploited economically. Historical experience indicates that when technically feasible, the southern continent will be exploited. The problem is important, because the Antarctic Treaty does not authorize this economic use, since it was born as a truce of the sovereignty problem, which could precisely be exacerbated by oil extraction and, secondly, because by introducing mining operations in a Special Zone of Conservation of flora and fauna, it will be very difficult not to pollute.
Keywords:
Antarctic Treaty, International Law, Antarctic System, Resource Exploitation, Environmental Conservation
Author Biography
Oscar Pinochet de la Barra
Abogado. Ex subsecretario de relaciones exteriores. Ex embajador en Unión Soviética y Japón. Actualmente consejero de la Sociedad Chilena de la Historia y Geografía y miembro de la Sociedad Chilena de Derecho Internacional.
Pinochet de la Barra, O. (1981). Evolución político-jurídica del problema antártico. Estudios Internacionales, 14(55), p. 380–393. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-3769.1981.16124
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