Ratify Law of the Sea

In March, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing that featured testimony by the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, General Victor Renuart, Jr. During an exchange with Senator Begich of Alaska, the Commander emphasized how the UN Law of the Sea Treaty is critical to the U.S. getting a seat at the table during important international discussions.

Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY2011 International Affairs Budget
Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY2011 International Affairs Budget

Secretary Clinton:
“At the same time, we are developing a new architecture of cooperation to meet transnational global challenges like climate change and the use of our planet’s oceans. With regard to the latter, I want to reiterate my support for U.S. accession to the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Our country stands to gain immensely from this treaty. Everything we know from what we are picking up with respect to other countries’ use of the tools under the Law of the Sea demonstrates that we will lose out, in economic and resource rights, in terms of environmental interests, and national security.”

Senator Lugar:
“I appreciate your mention of the Law of the Sea treaty. I’ve just come from a conference with regard to Russia and Russian aspirations. It was pointed out that with the melting of the Arctic, now huge oil resources, perhaps larger than those of Saudi Arabia, have been uncovered. The Russians immediately sent a ship up and planted a flag. This was a grandiose gesture. It doesn’t establish that they’re going to be drilling shortly. But the fact is that this is going to be an area of huge contention, and the need to have some structure in which American interests can come to the fore, the issue has always been sovereignty with regard to that. And sovereignty is the issue, but we’ve got to pin down our sovereignty.”

Secretary Clinton:
“Thank you for what you said about the Law of the Sea. I could not agree with you more. The Law of the Sea provides commercial rights to the mining of what is in the sea beds of the territories that are claimable under sovereignty provisions in the treaty. I believe with all my heart that we are going to be so sorry if we don’t get this up and going, and I know that you and the Chairman are committed to doing so. And if there’s more that we need to do from the Administration side, Mr. Chairman, I will get it done. You just – you give me the date and we’ll have the people here to testify, because I want everybody on the committee and the Congress to know what’s at stake here.”

Read the full transcript

CDR Michael C. Holifield, JAGC, a representative of the U.S. Navy’s Law of the Sea Department, outlines in this video how Law of the Sea can help the Navy achieve its capabilities and how failing to join other nations in this effort negatively impacts the Navy’s abilities. Holifield spoke at an event hosted by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Belmont University held in November.

Find out more about the connection between the Law of the Sea and national security.