L’Antarctique et ses ressources minérales

Bermejo, Romualdo

doi:10.4000/books.iheid.4350

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In 1989, negotiations over an Antarctic minerals convention came to an end after six years of intense effort. The proposed convention, the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA), was planned as an addition to the Antarctic Treaty to control the exploration and exploitation of minerals on the continent (Bermejo, 1990). But instead of ratifying the convention, as expected, Mitterrand made a volte-face and rejected CRAMRA: "I am preoccupied by the safeguarding of the Antarctic continent", he said, and with the "idea of transforming this continent into a vast natural and peaceful reserve" (JO Sénat, 1989Sénat, , p. 1932Le Déaut, 1989).…”

Section: An Environmental Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Undecided dreams: France in the Antarctic, 1840–2021

Martin-Nielsen

2021

Polar Record

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This paper traces France’s role in the Antarctic from 1840, when explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville discovered the slice of the white continent he named Terre Adélie, to the present day. Since World War II, Terre Adélie has been the site of a host of performances of sovereignty: the French have built bases, drawn maps, conducted scientific investigations and erected plaques. But France’s commitment to Terre Adélie has been tested and has fallen into crisis several times. The history of France in Antarctica is a tale of ambition, ambivalence, trade-offs and political strategy. This paper aims to elucidate this story, focusing on the concept of sovereignty and the nexus of scientific and political interests. I argue that France’s relationship with the Antarctic has been characterised by continual tension, by peaks and troughs and by brinkmanship on the part of actors with their own stakes. While there is broad agreement that Terre Adélie serves a fundamental national interest, I show that France’s ambitions on the white continent are far from decided. With its focus on France, which has largely been left out of the growing body of literature on the Antarctic, this paper contributes to building a robust historical understanding of Antarctic claims.

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Section: An Environmental Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%