The relevance of Antarctic Law in the face of regional challenges and the primary role of Argentina and Chile in its strengthening.

• Main Author: Arpi, Bruno
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Derecho 2021
• Subjects: Antarctic Law; Antarctic Treaty System; Argentina; Chile; Derecho Antártico; Sistema del Tratado Antártico; Droit antarctique; Système du traité sur l’Antarctique; Argentine; Chili; Direito Antártico; Sistema do Tratado da Antártida; Antarctic; Derecho; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctique*; Antártica; Antártida
• Online Access: https://revistas.uchile.cl/index.php/RTI/article/view/65595

The Antarctic community has developed a legal system, conceptualized here as Antarctic Law, to address the particular problems of the region. This regional legal regime has regulated human activities on the Antarctic continent and its surrounding waters for the past six decades. Despite Antarctic Law currently enjoying great acceptance by international society, there is an overwhelmingly critical analysis of the Antarctic legal regime by some Antarctic scholars, arguing in favour of the establishment of a global or universal regime for the region. These arguments, which are not new and were considered to be outdated, are relevant for States such as Argentina and Chile, who have maintained a uniform and constant position throughout history: it must be the Antarctic community that has the responsibility of regulating the region in interest of all humanity. This paper aims therefore to respond to these critics, highlighting the importance of the regional legal nature of Antarctic Law in the face of regional challenges, and at the same time, emphasizing the role that Argentina and Chile have played and should continue to play in their strengthening. La comunidad Antártica ha desarrollado un sistema jurídico, conceptualizado aquí como Derecho Antártico, para abordar los problemas particulares de la región. Este régimen jurídico regional ha regulado las actividades humanas en el continente antártico y sus aguas circundantes durante las últimas seis décadas. A pesar de gozar en la actualidad con la gran aceptación de la sociedad internacional, se observa un análisis abrumadoramente crítico al régimen jurídico Antártico por parte de algunos académicos antárticos, argumentando en favor del establecimiento de un régimen de global o universal para la región. Estos planteos, que no son nuevos y se los consideraba superados, tienen relevancia para Estados como Argentina y Chile quienes han mantenido una postura uniforme y constante a través de la historia: debe ser la comunidad Antártica quien tenga la responsabilidad de ...