Antarctica, human rights and international legal responsibility: Ukraine’s legal perspective from the Akademik Vernadsky Station

Abstract

The pressing need remains to improve the international legal regulation of researchers’ rights and safety. Mechanisms of states’ international legal framework governing researchers’ rights and safety, ensuring that mechanisms of state responsibility effectively protect both the natural environment and personnel. The operational experience of the Akademik Vernadsky Station underscores Ukraine’s contribution to global scientific cooperation and highlights the importance of codifying binding protection for Antarctic researchers. Adoption of a supplementary Antarctic Treaty protocol should be proposed by establishing standardized protections for scientific personnel, including enforceable safety standards, minimum due process guarantees, and real-time monitoring obligations for station-operating states.