

The states that have claims over Antarctica exercise no effective jurisdiction over them. The Antarctic Treaty basically just confirms their existence, gives the US and USSR the right to each make one whenever they want, and then moves on to laying out what can and can’t be done on the continent without regard to the claims.
Is it another thing? I don’t see how this is different from respecting areas that are held sacred by different religions, like much of the major holy sites in India or Palestine-Israel. Just because it’s shared that doesn’t give you a right to desecration.