Regulating Antarctic Tourism: The Challenge of Consensus-Based Decision Making

The Polar Institute contributed to an important new article just published in the October edition of the American Journal of International Law: “Regulating Antarctic Tourism: The Challenge of Consensus-Based Decision Making.” The article covers two cutting-edge issues in current Antarctic affairs: the challenges associated with consensus-based decision-making (which hold back progress on environmental protection and other matters) and the difficulties with moving forward on regulation of Antarctic tourism.  Although the article focuses on actions taken by States within the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, the analysis is also relevant to understanding decision-making in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the other main element of the Antarctic Treaty System.  The authors are Kees Bastmeijer (University of Groningen), Akiho Shibata (Kobe University), Imme Steinhage (Tilburg University), Luis Valentín Ferrada (Universidad de Chile) and Evan Bloom (Wilson Center).