Values and Principles in the Antarctic Treaty and the Environmental Protocol: an Overview and Categorization

Values and principles are mentioned in numerous hard law and soft law instruments
within the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). However, no provision within any of the
ATS instruments fully lists or describes them all. Moreover, their meaning is not elaborated upon or defined, and the relationships between values and principles are also
not clearly stated. This paper aims to identify ATS values and principles by examining
two hard law instruments: the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental
Protection. Based on definitions of the concepts of ‘value’ and ‘principle’, the paper
provides an overview of the values and principles included in these instruments and
proposes a categorization. Through this examination, the authors aim to expand the
comprehension and elucidation of the ATS values and principles while also stimulating further research on the topic. A more structural understanding and attention to the
values and principles can prove fundamental in further shaping Antarctic governance
and developing new regulatory instruments.