A Model of Joint Guardianship
Abstract This chapter examines the claim that, thanks to the Environmental Protocol, Antarctica is the most protected territory on earth. The author suggests that, without necessarily intending it, its signatories created a unique model of Joint Guardianship: they followed neither the regime of Perm...
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University PressOxford
2026
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197902769.003.0007 https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/68275229/workid-ukac0054987-book-part-7.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract This chapter examines the claim that, thanks to the Environmental Protocol, Antarctica is the most protected territory on earth. The author suggests that, without necessarily intending it, its signatories created a unique model of Joint Guardianship: they followed neither the regime of Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources nor the regime of Common Heritage of Mankind, but rather developed a new model which banned mineral prospection and extraction and focused on protection. The chapter claims that this model may serve as inspiration for the governance of ecoregions around the world. It addresses some objections—among them, that this would be unfair to the states where these ecosystems lie and could constitute a new wave of colonialism for their inhabitants. It concludes by reviewing the merits of the model while pointing to its limits and, in light of the discussion in previous chapters, to the need of considering nature as worthy of representation. |
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