The Antarctic Treaty, negotiated in 1959, prohibits any and all military activities in Antarctica and forbids the establishment of any borders. Three agreements – the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972), the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, 1980), and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (PEP, 1991), which prohibits any activity relating to mineral resources – have since been added to the treaty.
1959年谈判达成的南极条约禁止在南极洲从事一切军事活动或划定一切边界。《南极海豹保护公约》（1972年）、《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》（南极海洋生物资源保护委员会，1980年）以及禁止一切采矿活动的《南极条约环境保护议定书》（PEP，1991年）等三项公约陆续增补进南极条约的内容。