Why the U.S. Should Not Agree To The U.N. Convention On The Law Of The Sea

The USS Carl Vinson leads the USS Bunker Hill and the USS Halsey during a passing exercise with Indian navy ships during Exercise Malabar 2012 in the Indian Ocean, April 16, 2012. The Vinson, Bunker Hill and Halsey comprise Carrier Strike Group 1 and are participating in the annual bilateral naval field training exercise with the Indian navy to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman George M. Bell

The Folly Of UNCLOS -- Paul S. Giarra, The Diplomat

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea is as much as anything else about fundamental disagreements between the U.S. and China. The U.S. shouldn’t sign up.

UNCLOS is deeply flawed. The U.S. Senate should be deeply skeptical of claims that, because it’s an international agreement, we should therefore accede as a matter of course. One can be all for the rule of law, yet conclude that United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas has complicated rather than simplified maritime law and security.

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My Comment: With resources diminishing and many countries looking at the wealth in the sea as a source to improve their lives .... it's going to be hard for the U.S. to resist international pressure to agree to some form of international structure that will resolve complaints and differences. Eventually .... there will an agreement .... because absent an agreement will only inflame territorial demands and tensions.