NationStates Jolt Archive

To forestall possible destructive rivalries developing over the last unclaimed territories on Earth, the Union has proposed a conference between the interested powers of Argentina, Australia, Chile, the Conciliar Union, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Scandinavian Union, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yugoslavia, to discuss international norms concerning polar explorations and regulating claims, particularly to Antarctica.

As a preliminary proposal, the Union submits the following document for discussion:

Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose;

Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;

Article 3 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish new territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force;

Article 4 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south, and waters and ice shelves north of 60 degrees 00 minutes north;

Article 5 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all activities and of the introduction of military personnel must be given;

Article 6 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states;

Article 7 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations;

Article 8 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty;

Article 9 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned;

Articles 10, 11, 12 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations.

France is agreeable to the treaty and the government sends a telegram to Warsaw suggesting a concerted Pact effort be made to explore the region.

Japan agrees with the treaty and will ratify it asuming no other nations raise issue to it.

Cool, invitations I don't have to send.

And I can set aside some funds for a Pact station and expedition. Why not?

How does the treaty deal with non-participants violating the treaty? Let's say if Colombia tests a weapon at the North Pole?

Do scientific missles/rockets count as weapons?

I have more questions, but those are the most important right now.

Argentina will sign the treaty.

the United States will sign the treaty

ooc
and would be highly annoyed if someone broke it

South Africa will sign the treaty.

OOC: Damn! I was going to test nuclear weapons in Antartica! But the US is giving me a bunch of money, so I should stay on their good side. And of course, Antartica is a big place.

How does the treaty deal with non-participants violating the treaty? Let's say if Colombia tests a weapon at the North Pole?

Do scientific missles/rockets count as weapons?

I have more questions, but those are the most important right now.
Well, those are good questions. Scientific rockets, I think, wouldn't count as weapons, provided they had some legitimate research purpose, like taking weather readings or something.

As for nonmember activity, that's trickier.

I think if, say, the Colombians, mounted an expedition to the North Pole at all, we ought to pressure (or encourage) them to sign the treaty first. It's hard to say what other enforcement measures might be feasible.

I'll take suggestions.

I am not sure(all of this hypothetical), but seeing that Colombia is an LTA nation, any response by the Pact could trigger a world war.

Also we would like to know if limits could be placed on hunting wild life here, as Norwegian whalers, and international fishermen are inclined to do.

Yugoslavia will sign it once all questions are resolved.

Australia will sign the treaty.

The United Kingdom will sign the treaty. It will remain a signatory as long as Article 3 maintains its right to the current territorial claim in Antartica. Britain continues to refute any claims to the Artic ice cap territory, as this is essentially a sea zone.

ooc: colombia, wtf?

The United Kingdom will sign the treaty. It will remain a signatory as long as Article 3 maintains its right to the current territorial claim in Antartica. Britain continues to refute any claims to the Artic ice cap territory, as this is essentially a sea zone.
This is not acceptable. Great Britain is in no position to make such unilateral demands without compromise.

Either give up (or internationalize) your claim, or recognize ours.

The British representative acknowledges the Russian delegate and states that they will drop their disputes with the Union over ownership of the Arctic, in accordance with Article 3 of the treaty.

SIC:

British scientists are employed to undertake a feasability study on the possibility of a near future Antartic research base. The military is also involved in this matter (on strictly research terms).

The British representative acknowledges the Russian delegate and states that they will drop their disputes with the Union over ownership of the Arctic, in accordance with Article 3 of the treaty.

SIC:

British scientists are employed to undertake a feasability study on the possibility of a near future Antartic research base. The military is also involved in this matter (on strictly research terms).
Article 3 has accordingly been amended to refer strictly to new territorial claims.