FORUM: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 4

QUESTION OF: Antarctic Territorial Claims

THE FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

Defining “ Special Political Territory” seen as an international territory in which no indigenous entities
reside thus creating Territory that is regulated by non-indigenous territorial entities,

Further defining Antarctica as a “Special Political Territory” under which all land and ice shelves south
of 60°S latitude shall be considered “Special Political Territory”

Affirming the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) as an interdisciplinary institution

Noting with concern the growing climate change crisis and its grave implications for the Antarctic,
losing 252 gigatons of ice mass per year over the last decade compared to the 40 gigatons lost per year
in the 1980s, raising global sea levels by 14 millimeters since then,

Reaffirming the “Antarctic Treaty” and more generally the “Antarctic Treaty System” as a means of
promoting peace and sustainability by regulating international relations with respect to Antarctica, with
the intentions that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes such as
oceanographic science, technology and education and shall not become the scene or object of
international discord,

Welcoming the “Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources” and more
specifically the “Madrid Protocol” as a part of the Antarctic Treaty System by providing comprehensive
protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems,

Aware of the drastic changes in geopolitical and geopolitical economic power distribution and influence
since the enforcement of the Antarctic Treaty in 1961,

Additionally aware of Article XII of the Antarctic Treaty as a means to accordingly modify or amend
the treaty, under a unanimous agreement of the contracting parties, as a means to fairly represent current
day geopolitical power and priorities,

1. Asks for the enforcement and integration of the development of the International Belt and Road
Initiative through the proposed Polar Silk Road by promoting development including but not limited
to:
a) the development of hard infrastructure such as:
i. controlled commercial and transportation infrastructure development
ii. energy and scientific infrastructure development
b) the development of soft infrastructure such as:
i. negotiation of free trade agreements
ii. investments into energy and scientific infrastructure development
iii. policy coordination
c) collaboration with other members and economic corridors of the current Belt and Road
initiative;

2. Calls upon all member nations to implement strict regulations of all the military presence in the
region as to not allow for unregistered activity to interfere with the agreed-upon operations being
conducted in the Antarctic under the Antarctic Treaty:
 a) requiring all member nations to declare to the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty any and
all forms of current and future military presence in the region with a minimum advance
notice of 2 weeks
b) further limiting the maximum number of active serving military personnel sent into the
region to be no more than 1 for every two civilians inclusive of scientists
c) limiting the number and type of vessels carrying military personnel/technology present in
the region to several disarmed military vessels and several medium to small non-military
vessels per country
d) banning all technology with the potential to be heavily weaponized, except when disclosed
to the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty and deemed be a scientific necessity
e) any such activity or presence that surpasses necessity and is deemed a threat by 2 or more
countries with claims in the Antarctic will be sanctioned in regard to the Antarctic region;

3. Calls for the creation of a biennial meeting to discuss Antarctic territorial claims and diffuse any
potential tension discussing topics such as, but not limited to;
a) research and facilities engaged in the Antarctic mainland and any notice of a future major
expedition
b) specific border divisions between territories
c) a summative meeting in 2045 to discuss any further amendments or changes to the treaty,
upholding the ideal of environmental protection;

4. Suggests the implementation of an administrative body that promotes cooperation between the
Antarctic Treaty Secretariat and the designated UN organisations by including changes such as, but
not limited to:
a) integrating more sustainable practices and higher accountability for nations that have a
presence in the Antarctic
b) new security and surveillance policies restricting new technologies that did not exist during
the creation of the current treaty
c) further action regarding climate change and the current deterioration of the Antarctic such
as regulating fossil fuels used and restricting excessive tourism in Antarctica;

5. Requests all member states to ensure that the Antarctic Treaty is upheld and that Antarctica remains
as a continent only for scientific activities entertaining procedure such as, but not limited to:
a) the close cooperation of the Secretariat of the ATS through means such as:
i. all member states, especially the one with interests in the Antarctic territories
ii. a new installed United Nations Peacekeeping mission “United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force Antarctica” (UNDOFA), that fulfills the executive
activities in Antarctica, in order to prevent activities against the ATS
iii. implementing additional monitoring by peacekeepers of main entry points through
sea or air and radio signals which may be committing unauthorized development
of surveillance networks
iv. the Secretary-General or their representatives
b) ensuring all data and information resulting from scientific research in Antarctica is free for
anybody in the international community to see
i. enhance the access of international scientific communities and specialized
agencies of the United Nations to such information, including the encouragement
of a periodic seminar;

6. Endorses an amendment to the “Antarctic Treaty System” by promoting the following friendly
modifications:
a) the merge and integration of all treaties on the Arctic circle into the current “Antarctic
Treaty System” as a means to create a universal consensus on the regulations concerning
the two special political territories
b) the amending of article Article IV of the “Antarctic Treaty” as a means to assert the Marie
 Byrd Land to two key BRICS members that currently has no existing territorial claims in
the Antarctic or arctic circle as a means to fairly represent current day geopolitical power
distribution
c) authorizes the review in the form of a report detailing all overlapping claims in the
Antarctic conducted by an entity deemed a neutral third party to assist in the resolution of
conflicting claims, with the review taking into account
i. historical claims of the member nation to the area
ii. resources present within the claimed region
iii. member nations’ potential intentions for the region
d) all relevant member states should sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea;

7. Suggests for the Canberra Protocol, the London Protocol, and the Madrid Protocol to be reviewed,
under which shall be taken into consideration, implementing environmental opportunities including
but not limited to:
a) global long term benefits of general scientific and oceanographic projects
b) global long term benefits of fisheries and bioprospecting
c) global long term benefits of the extraction of fossil fuels, minerals, and all other non-fossil
energies
d) implementation of Marine Reserves in appropriate areas to avoid acceleration of the
degradation of the basis of the Antarctic food chain
e) prevention of high level of marine pollution through management of waste disposal
f) implementation of a protocol for tourism, involving limiting landings, cruises and heavily
controlled decrease of Heavy Fuel Oil to more sustainable fuel sources;

8. Supports the adoption of stronger legislative measures by member nations to combat climate change
based on all existing and future EIA reports to curb climate change;

9. Advocates for the creation of the Antarctic Research Regulation (ARR) in order to prevent harmful
illegal activity,
a) through means such as but not limited to:
i. monitoring the main ports of entry and exit to the mainland
ii. supervising the entry and exit of planes or ships which enter the land
iii. analyzing radio signals which may be committing unauthorized development of
surveillance networks
b) the aforementioned measures can be implemented in order to prevent illegal activity such
as, but not limited to:
i. oil scavenging which may include methods that harm the environment and
contribute to the depletion of ice
ii. nuclear or missile weapon testing
iii. unauthorized military deployment and testing
iv. the establishment of covert surveillance networks and remote control of offensive
weapons systems;

10. Urges all member states to uphold the protection of intellectual property through prioritizing credit
to where the researcher(s) originated, then take into account the territorial claims and geography of
the scientific discovery, through means such as but not limited to:
a) the submission of evidence of who and where this discovery was made
b) the supervision of all resources and information gathered through a neutral UN organized
party, International Antarctic Intellectual Property Disputes (IAIPD).