[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 51 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 51

   Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic 
                                Treaty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2009

  Mr. Tiberi (for himself, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Connolly of 
    Virginia, Mrs. Dahlkemper, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Farr, Mr. Gordon of 
Tennessee, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Inglis, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Petri, Mr. Poe of 
 Texas, and Mr. Turner) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic 
                                Treaty.

Whereas the Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 nations in Washington, DC, on 
        December 1, 1959, ``with the interests of science and the progress of 
        all mankind'';
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty was established to continue and develop 
        international ``cooperation on the basis of freedom of scientific 
        investigation in Antarctica as applied during the International 
        Geophysical Year'';
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty came into force on June 23, 1961, after its 
        unanimous ratification by the seven claimant nations (Argentina, 
        Australia, Chile, the French Republic, Norway, and the United Kingdom of 
        Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and five other nations (Belgium, 
        Japan, the Union of South Africa, the Union of Soviet Socialist 
        Republics, and the United States of America), who had collaborated in 
        Antarctic research activities during the International Geophysical Year 
        from July 1, 1957, through December 31, 1958;
Whereas ``no acts or activities taking place while the present treaty is in 
        force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting, or denying a 
        claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica'';
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty established a firm foundation for the United States 
        of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to cooperate 
        during the cold war;
Whereas the 14 articles of the Antarctic Treaty provide an ongoing firm 
        foundation to successfully maintain the region south of 60 degrees south 
        latitude, nearly 10 percent of the Earth, ``for peaceful purposes 
        only'';
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty provides an ongoing firm foundation ``for nations 
        to continuously meet for the purpose of exchanging information, 
        consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to 
        Antarctica, and formulating and considering, and recommending to their 
        Governments, measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of 
        the treaty'';
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty prohibits ``any measure of a military nature'', 
        despite the complete absence of indigenous human populations and extreme 
        isolation of the continent surrounded by oceans at the bottom of the 
        Earth;
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty became the first nuclear arms agreement in our 
        world by establishing that ``any nuclear explosions in Antarctica and 
        the disposal there of radioactive waste material shall be prohibited'';
Whereas common interests among the Antarctic Treaty nations facilitated the 
        development and ratification of the Convention on the Conservation of 
        Antarctic Marine Living Resources;
Whereas the Antarctic Treaty now has 46 nation signatories that together 
        represent nearly 90 percent of the human population;
Whereas the scientific basis of international cooperation founded by the 
        Antarctic Treaty offers humankind an institutional precedent for the 
        peaceful governance of international spaces;
Whereas in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical 
        Year, the United States House of Representatives and United States 
        Senate in their concurrent resolutions and the Antarctic Treaty 
        Consultative Parities in their Edinburgh Declaration recognize the 
        current International Polar Year for its contributions to global science 
        and international cooperation; and
Whereas the International Polar Year program has endorsed the Antarctic Treaty 
        Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance that 
        will be convened in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian Institution on 
        the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) recognizes that the Antarctic Treaty has successfully 
        ensured the ``use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes only and 
        the continuance of international harmony'' continuously for the 
        past half century; and
            (2) encourages diverse international and interdisciplinary 
        collaboration in the Antarctic Treaty Summit to identify 
        lessons and stories from 50 years of international cooperation 
        under the Antarctic Treaty that have legacy value for 
        humankind.
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