Chapter 4. The Management Of International Areas And Their Limited Natural Resources: The Examples Of Antarctica And Itu

Abstract

The legal regimes governing human activities in Antarctica respectively regulating the allocation of geostationary orbital slots under the umbrella of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) represent successful examples of cooperation among States in the management and utilization of international areas and their resources. The continent of Antarctica is nowadays regulated by the 'Antarctic Treaty System', a conventional regime comprised of several international agreements. The geostationary orbit (GSO) represents a strategic resource for telecommunication and broadcasting purposes. The responsibility of managing the frequency spectrum, as well as the positions of geostationary satellites is attributed to the Radiocommunication Sector, which is one of the three Sectors conducting the substantive work of the ITU. Both the GSO and the minerals present on the surface and the subsurface of the Moon and other celestial bodies are limited natural resourcest.Keywords: Antarctic treaty system; geostationary orbit (GSO); international areas; International Telecommunication Union (ITU); natural resources