University of Tasmania, Australia

Maritime claims, the Law of the Sea and the Antarctic Treaty

While the Antarctic was not included in deliberations at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III, 1974-82) the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) is the centrepiece of the regimes governing the oceans and provides the basis for what can be described as described as a comprehensive ‘constitution for the oceans’.  The LOSC provides the basis for managing the ocean space, including the Southern Ocean within the Antarctic Treaty Area. This project examines the delimitation, and declaration by nation states, of maritime zones and boundaries within the Antarctic Treaty area and explores how these relate to the principles and practices of the Antarctic Treaty System.