Antarctic Security in the Twenty-First Century

The Antarctic Treaty (1959) was adopted for the purpose of bringing peace and stability to the region and to facilitate cooperation in scientific research conducted on and around the continent. It has now been over fifty years since the Antarctic Treaty’s entry into force, nevertheless, security continues to both drive and shape the legal and policy regime which applies to Antarctica. This book explores a wide range of Antarctic and Southern Ocean issues through the lens of security. The contributions to this volume engage with a security discourse which has expanded beyond the traditional military domain to include notions of economic security, environmental security, food security, bio-security, heath security and human security. The chapters consider topics such as the implications for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean of the growing strategic competition between the rising powers of Asia, the possible effects of climate change on the authority, legitimacy and effectiveness of the Antarctic Treaty System, and the shift from 'strategic' security to 'human' security and its potential consequences for the Antarctic treaty regime.