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| HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT | Law of Sea Treaty Under Fire | ||
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The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international agreement that sets common rules for the uses of the world’s oceans, is under fire after recent moves toward ratification in the Senate. Ironically, ideological anti-internationalist groups seem to be the only folks against this treaty. The treaty’s diverse champions range from the White House and the Department of Defense, to environmentalists and the oil industry. In a recent letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) that Citizens for Global Solutions published in Roll Call on May 12, industry and NGOs signatories noted the diversity of support for the treaty and called for it to be brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Despite a 1994 agreement that resolved the one remaining U.S. concern about the 1982 treaty, the Law of the Sea convention had languished in the Senate until Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), took up the cause last year.
With the strong support of both the Bush Administration and SFRC Ranking Minority Member Joe Biden (D-DE), Senator Lugar held hearings last fall. The SFRC unanimously approved the treaty in late February 2004.
Anti-UN commentators began sounding the alarms in articles in The National Review, the
Weekly
Standard, Senator Frist refuses to schedule floor time for the treaty, despite the near certainty of ratification if it were to come up. The Chatanooga Times Free Press in Senator Frist's home state editorialized on Frist's intransigence on April 18, saying that he was "yielding to the GOP's far right fringe." While support for the treaty comes from across the political spectrum, and ratification is virtually certain if the Senate takes it up, the treaty will not be passed this session unless Senator Frist allows it to come to the floor. Citizens for Global Solutions is working to ensure passage of this important treaty by running ads in Tennessee and Washington, DC, and working with a group of concerned organizations to bring a common message to Senator Frist in support of action on the treaty this year. + TAKE ACTION Last Updated June 30, 2004 |
Resources
Citizens for Global Solutions Law of the Sea Treaty Fact Sheet Citizens for Global Solutions sign-on letter, placed in Roll Call, urging Sen. Frist to allow a vote on ratification, May 12, 2004. Citizens for Global Solutions Law of the Sea Ad Running in Tennessee Newspapers House Oceans Caucus letters to Senator Frist and Senator Daschle urging ratification, June 24, 2004. Law of the Sea Convention: Should the U.S. Ratify? Brookings Institution, June 22, 2004 (PDF). Navy League Presidential message calls Law of the Sea essential for U.S. Naval Power Official treaty website - Contains treaty text, status. Interview with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) from Citizens for Global Solutions Spring 2004 Newsletter Senator Lugar's website on the treaty Chatanooga Times Editorial urging Sen. Frist to call for vote on ratification (PDF)
Senate Committee Hearings: Letters Supporting Ratification: |
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