Legitimacy in Antarctic governance: The stewardship model

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Vanstappen, Nils
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2019
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247419000627; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247419000627

Abstract The international community’s interest in the governance of Antarctica has long been recognised. Consideration of this interest has even been one of the pillars of the Antarctic Treaty System’s legitimacy. The Antarctic Treaty, for example, famously claims to serve “the interest of all mankind.” Yet, exactly how the international community is given a voice in Antarctic deliberations remains unclear. This contribution argues that – with the idea of direct United Nations involvement having been squarely rejected – stewardship could best describe the existing governance model as well as offer a normative framework to assess the system’s legitimacy.