WASHINGTON—The need for the United States to sign onto a maritime treaty is a matter of “utmost security and economic urgency,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Senate hearing Wednesday.
The U.N. Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) has become the leading accord in dealing with international maritime disputes, offering guidelines on a range of issues—including free passage through world’s seaways, jurisdiction of ocean beds, and passage for underwater telecommunication cables.
Whether to join the international body has been a point of discussion in the U.S. Senate for over 20 years—but to date, the United States remains one of the few major countries that has not signed up. Currently, 160 nations, including Russia and China, are members.
Clinton said, “Twenty years ago, ten years ago, maybe even five years ago, joining the convention was important, but not urgent. That is no longer the case.”
The race for resources is a big contributor to the urgency. The convention allows nations to claim economic sovereignty over their continental shelf to a distance of around 200 nautical miles from shore. That would extend U.S. territory by at least one-and-a-half times the size of Texas, maybe more, Clinton said.
