CCAN: The Law of the Sea Convention
With the expansion of sea travel and trade, maritime nations gathered at the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to create a treaty, later called the Law of the Sea Treaty, to determine rights and guidelines. The third and most recent agreement, called UNCLOS III, started in 1973 and concluded in 1982. With its conclusion, over 160 nations signed the treaty along with many provisions: exclusive economic zones, exploitation regime, protection of the maritime environment, a more defined baseline, among others. UNCLOS made a surge again in 1994, with all previous countries involved. However, most notably, the U.S. has not ratified the agreement.
There is much debate on whether or not ratification is in the best interest of the U.S. political parties, and their lobbying efforts for environmental, security, and economic influence. The debate, however, lies on how both sides work towards a compromise. Pro-side points to the treaty's emphasis on the protection of the seas while the anti-side believes that it only encourages overfishing. The U.S. military relies on the oceans for navigation, and clear boundaries for undisrupted movement. However, national sovereignty could be compromised. Businesses are capable of navigating through a treaty's loopholes and exploit resources for substantial profit: taxes, equal share, and exploitation are all areas of concern.
After reviewing the three editions of the UNCLOS, I am more inclined to side with the anti-ramification side. Still, I am in favor of maritime agreement and harmony. However, ratifying the treaty isn't necessary. All three UNCLOS treaties are relatively the same, except for more defined boundaries and measurements, such as the baseline in the UNCLOS III. As long as America follows old guidelines and doesn't impede any other nations' baseline, then America has no pressing need to make anything official. We have historically respected maritime laws and honoring all the guidelines.
