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Antarctic arms control as past precedent

Part of: 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2019

Ryan A. Musto Open the ORCID record for Ryan A. Musto [Opens in a new window]
Ryan A. Musto*
Affiliation:
Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow, Security Studies Program, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E40-474, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Ryan A. Musto, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The 1959 Antarctic Treaty made Antarctica the world’s first and only demilitarised continent, the world’s first denuclearised zone, and pioneered a comprehensive inspections system. This article explores Antarctic arms control as past precedent. It finds that the United States, which spearheaded the Antarctic Treaty negotiations, initially rationalised arms control in Antarctica as an isolated endeavour. Yet its potential elsewhere quickly appealed to various officials involved in the treaty negotiations and aligned with public perception. Subsequent initiatives for arms control took broad inspiration from the Antarctic Treaty, but regional differences limited specific adaptations.

Keywords

Antarctic TreatyArms controlDenuclearised zoneDemilitarisationPrecedent
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 55 , Issue 5 , September 2019 , pp. 330 - 333
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

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