The Antarctic Micronational Union is the first micronational multinational organization that comprises only of Antarctic micronations.
The core mission of the AMU is to publicize and protect the territorial claims of its member states while providing a means for new claims to be registered and recorded. Through committee actions, the AMU also engages in other activities related to the furthering of activities concerning Antarctica; advocating for the conservation, protection, and preservation oflands and wildlife; and matters that concern, affect, and impact climate change, humanity’s role in it, and initiatives aimed at fighting, slowing, or even reversing it. The AMU also strongly advocates for the protection of the freshwater ice shelves in and around the continent, as threats to their existence are also a threat on humanity’s continued way of life.
Since 2010 the AMU has been mentioned in Dutch, Belgian, and Russian news media.
Establishment
The AMU was officially established on December 6, 2008 as the Grupo Del Acuerdo Micronational Antartico (GAMA) by the Kingdom of Finismund, Marie State and the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis. The Federated States of Antarctica and Keep Watch were the first micronations which joined the organisation after its foundation. The GAMA was founded as result of a conflict between Finismund, Marie State and Flandrensis against Jon Lawrence of Westarctica, known as the Great Micronational Antarctic War. This conflict ended on September 24, 2010 when Niels of Flandrensis and Travis McHenry, founder of Westarctica signed the West-Antarctic Treaty.
Reforms
In late 2009, the organization faced a crisis when two of the founding nations, Finismund and Marie State, were disbanded. There was no structure anymore and the administration was incomplete. In January 2010 Flandrensis proposed the first elections of the organization, and on the 15th of that month Grand Duke Niels of Flandrensis was elected as the first Secretary-General. The same day he renamed the organization to the Antarctic Micronational Union (AMU), a name that has more clarity. On October 24, 2011 the AMU was reformed by dividing the organization into 4 administrative regions: West-Antarctica, East-Antarctica, Victoria Land and the Northern Antarctic Peninsula. The reform was only a temporally success. Faced with inactivity on the forum, the lack of communication and the disappearing of several micronations the AMU was confronted again with a crisis in 2013. Niels of Flandrensis (co-founder of the AMU) took the initiative for another reform, supported by the remaining active members. On August 21, 2013 all inactive members were removed from the organization., the forum was removed and replaced by the official Facebookpage and the organization simplified its administration. In November 2016 Flandrensis, Westarctica, Ruthenia, Arkel, and Campinia withdraw their membership after a discussion about internal affairs and the preservation of Antarctica and ecologic issues.
Change of Leadership
In September 2014 Niels of Flandrensis announced his intention to resign as Administrative-General for personal reasons. Yaroslav Mar, the President of the Federal Republic of Lostisland, was unanimously eleceted the new Administrative-General and assumed office on September 19. Yaroslav Mar initiated further reforms within the organization, such as the creation of a proper website wider promotion through social betworks. He oversaw the creation of a new AMU Map, drawn by Travis McHenry.
Decline & Revival
In November 2016 Flandrensis, Westarctica, Ruthenia, Arkel, and Campinia withdrew their membership in the Antarctic Micronational Union after a long debate about internal affairs and the preservation of Antarctica and ecologic issues.
Although the departure was first proposed by Flandrensis, Westarctica was bound to follow their ally in leaving the AMU due to the provisions of the West-Antarctic Free Alliance, a treaty which linked the foreign affairs of the two nations.
As a result of the mass exodus, the AMU slided into inactivity, and while the organization was never officially disbanded, it was no longer functioning. In the absence of a regulating body, Antarctic micronationalism once again became chaotic: existing claims were contested, new micronations started popping up without any regard to prior Antarctic claims.
In December 2019 a number of current and former AMU members started negotiation talks, weighing the possibility of reviving the organization. These talks materialized on 24 February 2020, when the new Charter of the Antarctic Micronational Union was signed by the representatives of Hortania, Lostisland, Užupis, Karnia-Ruthenia, Westarctica, Missionary Order of the Celtic Cross, and Montescano, who reconfirmed their membership in the revived organization.
The Grand Duchy of Flandrensis opted out of rejoining the AMU, but announced a change in foreign policy, recognizing the territorial claims of all AMU members.
The AMU Members reconfirmed the authority of Yaroslav Mar as the Administrative-General for a new term until 2024, when a new election will take place.