You might think that Antarctica is only important for researchers, but in fact there has been a treaty in place since 1961 that regulates the activities of countries on the continent. The treaty was successful in keeping geopolitical tensions away from Antarctica during and after the Cold War and preventing the militarisation of the continent. However, decades of peaceful cooperation have come to an end as China and Russia are pushing the limits of the Antarctic treaty regime. In our video, we explain why this is happening, what the current developments are and how they could lead to the gradual erosion of the treaty regime over time.
