The Antarctic Treaty, set up in 1961 to provide a means for managing international relations in Antarctica, was reviewed in 1991. The book considers the question of the region's future with the ever growing international interest in the area as a source of important mineral resources. In this survey, a study group, brought together by the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies, looks at the political and environmental questions raised by the potentially conflicting interests in the Antarctic. What are the stresses, internal and external, on the Antarctic Treaty System and can it develop to cope with these? Could these stresses be resolved in a new instrument? If not, what is the likely political outlook for Antarctica? This book does not describe the components of the Antarctic Treaty System. These are discussed in The Antarctic Treaty Regime, edited by Gillian Triggs. Together, the two books will form an authoritative basis for the study of the Antarctic Treaty and its future.