South Africa, Antarctica, and the ATS: an unrealized foreign policy leadership opportunity

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Periodical article

Title:	South Africa, Antarctica, and the ATS: an unrealized foreign policy leadership opportunity
Author:	Verbitsky, Jane
Year:	2015
Periodical:	Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies (ISSN 1470-1014)
Volume:	42
Issue:	2
Pages:	195-218
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	South Africa Antarctica
Subjects:	international agreements international relations foreign policy
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/02589346.2015.1041670
Abstract:	Although South Africa is a founding member of the Antarctic Treaty, the southernmost continent has played little part in its post-apartheid foreign policy. This article, however, argues that vigorous engagement with Antarctica and Antarctic politics represents an unparalleled opportunity and means for South Africa to simultaneously assert leadership in an increasingly important area of global politics and to address some of its most critical socio-economic problems. Due to its founding member status, the paper suggests that South Africa is uniquely positioned to be able to advocate for and champion reform of the Antarctic Treaty to achieve greater democratization of Antarctic governance. Furthermore, the introduction of a bioprospecting governance framework in the Antarctic commons based on equitable benefit sharing would help reorient South African foreign policy to better meet some of its expressed objectives, and could also generate capital funding revenue for domestic development priorities. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]