A Management Plan for the South Pole was first adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in 2007. A fully revised Management Plan for the South Pole ASMA (Adobe PDF) was adopted in 2017. This document sets out the management activities that are to be undertaken to achieve the objectives of the ASMA, and provides a Code of Conduct for the various activities occurring within the Area. Special zones and Sectors are also defined in the Management Plan in order to manage the multiple activities occurring in different parts of the ASMA.
Policies for non-governmental and private expedition activities were also comprehensively revised in the Management Plan adopted in 2017. The aim is to ensure that impacts by visitors on the South Pole environment and research are minimized. The revised policies are reflected in the updated maps provided on this site. All expeditions must comply with the Management Plan. Any queries about procedures should be directed to the Management Group contact.