Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty

What Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty does

The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty is an intergovernmental organization that serves as the administrative body of the Antarctic Treaty System. Originally established by the Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington on December 1, 1959 by twelve countries, the Secretariat itself was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a staff of 16. Its core function is to support the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs) and the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), facilitating coordination among 56 Treaty Parties (29 with consultative voting status) on environmental protection, scientific cooperation, and governance of all activities in Antarctica, including oversight of tourism and non-governmental expeditions.

The Secretariat operates a portfolio of web-based information management tools including the Antarctic Treaty Database, Meeting Documents Archive, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Database, Protected Areas Database, Inspections Database, the Antarctic Information Exchange System (EIES), collaborative workspaces and forums for ATCM and CEP participants, a Maps Gallery hosted on Esri ArcGIS, an Image Bank, and reporting systems for vessel-based expeditions, most-visited sites, and national legislation. The underlying technology stack is web-based, with multi-language support in English, Spanish, French, and Russian, and combines proprietary portals with third-party geospatial infrastructure.

The organization's revenue model is based on mandatory contributions from its member States; no commercial products or services are offered for sale and no pricing structure is disclosed. Its primary stakeholders are the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (governments), with secondary beneficiaries including the scientific research community and tourism operators subject to treaty oversight and regulation.

Name

Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty

Legal name

Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty

Website

https://antarctictreaty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty is the intergovernmental administrative body of the Antarctic Treaty System, operating web-based databases, collaborative platforms, and meeting coordination for 56 member States focused on Antarctic governance, environmental protection, and scientific cooperation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Treaty Administration

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Antarctic treaty administration
• Intergovernmental cooperation
• Environmental protection policy
• Polar research coordination
• Treaty governance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty serves as the administrative body of the Antarctic Treaty System, supporting 56 member States in governing Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science. It provides treaty governance, facilitates Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) sessions, and operates a suite of online databases, collaborative forums, and information exchange tools. Its mandate centers on environmental protection coordination, scientific cooperation, and oversight of tourism and non-governmental activities under the Antarctic Treaty and its Protocol on Environmental Protection.

Product overview

The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty operates a comprehensive suite of databases, collaborative platforms, and reporting tools that support the administration of the Antarctic Treaty system. The portfolio includes the Antarctic Treaty Database, multiple specialized databases (EIA, Protected Areas, Inspections), the Antarctic Information Exchange System (EIES), collaborative workspaces and forums for ATCM and CEP meetings, a maps gallery, an image bank, and various expedition and legislation reporting systems. These tools collectively enable party nations to manage Antarctic activities, coordinate scientific cooperation, ensure environmental protection compliance, and facilitate diplomatic communication under the Treaty framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antarctic Treaty Database
• Meeting Documents Archive Archive of meeting documents from Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs) for use by Treaty Parties and researchers.
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Database Database containing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for activities conducted in the Antarctic Treaty area, supporting environmental compliance.
• Protected Areas Database Database cataloguing Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) and Antarctic Specially Managed Areas (ASMAs) under the Protocol on Environmental Protection.
• Inspections Database Database containing records of inspections conducted under the Antarctic Treaty system for compliance monitoring.
• EIES (Antarctic Information Exchange System) Online portal for exchanging information related to Antarctic activities and expeditions among Treaty Parties.
• ATCM Forum Online forum for Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) participants to discuss and collaborate.
• ATCM Workspace Collaborative workspace supporting ATCM document preparation and working group activities for Treaty delegations.
• CEP Forum Online forum for Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) participants to discuss and collaborate.
• CEP Workspace Collaborative workspace supporting CEP document preparation and working group activities for environmental protection delegations.
• Maps Gallery Gallery of maps related to Antarctica including treaty areas, protected zones, and expedition routes, built on the ArcGIS platform.
• Image Bank Historical image archive documenting the Antarctic Treaty system and its activities through the years.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): Intergovernmental organization ensuring all navigable waters are surveyed and charted, including Antarctic waters. Comparable as a technical intergovernmental body funded by member contributions, supporting maritime safety standards in the Antarctic Treaty area.

Direct peers

• Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR): Interdisciplinary body of ICSU that initiates, promotes, and coordinates scientific research in Antarctica. Comparable as an Antarctic-focused international scientific and advisory body operating in the same institutional ecosystem as the Secretariat.
• Arctic Council Secretariat: Administrative body of the Arctic Council, the most direct peer to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. Both function as secretariats for intergovernmental polar governance frameworks, coordinating member-state consultations, environmental protection, and scientific cooperation in their respective polar regions.
• CITES Secretariat: Secretariat administering the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Comparable as a small intergovernmental secretariat funded by member contributions, enforcing multilateral environmental compliance, and managing reporting/permitting databases.
• Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP): The operational counterpart to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, COMNAP coordinates the practical logistics of national Antarctic programs. Highly comparable in mandate area (Antarctic governance) and closely intertwined with the Secretariat through shared member States.
• International Whaling Commission (IWC) Secretariat: Secretariat of the international convention governing whale conservation, with member-state funding model and consensus-based decision-making. Highly comparable as a small international treaty secretariat focused on environmental protection of marine species.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA): Intergovernmental body regulating seabed activities beyond national jurisdiction under UNCLOS. Comparable as an autonomous international secretariat administering environmental regulations, resource-use oversight, and member-state contributions.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UN system entity coordinating global environmental policy. Comparable as an intergovernmental body facilitating international cooperation on environmental protection, with overlapping mandate areas in ecosystem conservation and environmental standards.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO): UN specialized agency that regulates international shipping, including vessel operations in Antarctic waters under its Polar Code. Comparable as a large intergovernmental organization with regulatory and environmental protection functions overlapping the Antarctic Treaty's maritime scope.
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC): UNESCO body promoting international cooperation in marine sciences, ocean observations, and data exchange. Comparable as an intergovernmental platform coordinating ocean research and environmental data sharing relevant to Antarctic marine ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secretariat-of-the-antarctic-treaty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty