Chilean Strategy Towards Antarctica

This research contrasts the Argentine, British, and Chilean strategies with regard to their overlapping Antarctic territorial claims with the aim to provide a critique of Chilean strategy and to make policy recommendations. The Antarctic Treaty AT will come up for review in 2048 and several nations intend to be ready in case this statute is terminated. Chile, therefore, must develop a coherent strategy to protect its interests in Antarctica. This paper first provides an assessment regarding the tension among Chile, Argentina, and the UK, and then suggests three policy options. It examines the problem, legal framework, and claimant strategies in four parts. The first part provides an update of Antarcticas strategic potential. Multiple geopolitical and economic benefits offer attractive incentives to nations able to establish firm political and territorial integrity. Maritime routes, tourism, and natural resources are the most relevant potentials in the Antarctic continent. The second section describes key legal considerations of the AT in order to recognize the most appropriate approach to face the Antarctics partition before the International Court of Justice ICJ. Furthermore, this section describes each territorial claim together with their legal, historic, geological, and geographical arguments. The third part discusses British and Argentinas strategies in order to show that Chile lags behind its two main rivals. This paper contrasts their Antarctic programs, investments and activities. Active presence programs are the most important argument for the ICJ with respect to partition. The last section of this paper analyzes Chiles dilemma when considering a unilateral, bilateral, or multilateral political approach. In short, Chiles strategy must be in coordination with multiple allies to secure its interests, especially with the UK and the United States.