Ratify Law of the Sea

The Center for a New American Security, an independent and nonpartisan research institution, has published Contested Commons: The Future of American Power in a Multipolar World (PDF), a report wherein they insist ratification will, ‘…lay the groundwork to build up cooperative efforts to minimize conflict over the long term.”

Excerpt:

Considering the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. security and economic interests, it is imperative that the Senate ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Doing so will benefit immediate U.S. national security interests and lay the groundwork to build up cooperative efforts to minimize conflict over the long term.

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Not surprisingly, the leadership of the U.S. Navy has advocated UNCLOS ratification. America’s nonparty status contradicts its strategy and narrative about cooperation and the rule of law. As one defense official put it recently, it is not enough just to play by the rules — the United States must champion the rules and lead efforts to adapt to the international rules when necessary. At present, American has abandoned its seat at the table and forfeited the opportunity to shape international policy.

Download a copy of the report (PDF)

Press release from the Center for a New American Security