| Summary: | Over the last 60 years, the scope of international governance of Antarctica has steadily expandedin scope. In 1959, during the geopolitical tension of the early cold-war period, the AntarcticTreaty was formed by the twelve original states to primarily prevent security competition in theAntarctic region. From its very creation, resolution – or at least management – of geopoliticaltension has been a core norm of the Antarctic Treaty. This instrument was negotiated and enteredinto force during a period of heightened Cold War competition between the United States andthe Soviet Union. The Antarctic Treaty effectively managed this tension by demilitarising theAntarctic continent and directing all human presence on the continent towards peaceful use andscientific research. Throughout its history the Antarctic Treaty has been viewed as a successfulexample of international governance because of its successful responses to internal and externalpressures.
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