The Antarctic Treaty System is a set of agreements about the continent of Antarctica. It was signed in 1959 and took effect in 1961. So far, it has been signed by 46-48 countries.

The ATS is used for governing the continent. The main idea of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) is to make sure that Antarctica is:

• is used peacefully and taken care of.
• is not exploited or used for animal hunting.
• is not involved with military use unless for peaceful purposes.
• is not owned by one group.
• is not ruled by any country and/or continent.
• is not used for violence e.g. testing nuclear missiles.