Antarctic Treaty: History and Challenges

Key Points

• 1The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting kicked off on May 20 in Kochi, Kerala.
• 2The Antarctic Treaty was originally signed by 12 countries on December 1, 1959.
• 3Seven countries made formal territorial claims over Antarctica by the 1950s.
• 4India joined the treaty in 1983 and is a Consultative Party.
• 5The biggest challenge is climate change and the spike in tourism-related activities.
• 6The treaty has been able to evolve to address new challenges from time to time.