Law of the Sea

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (abbreviated UNCLOS), also known as the Law of the Sea Treaty (abbreviated LOST), was completed in 1982 by the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The United States Senate has not given its consent to the treaty; the U.S. is thus not part of the Convention. The Law of the Sea Treaty was designed to solve to protect ocean resources and set up a framework for the resolution of maritime disputes between nations. Ratification of the treaty by the U.S. is essential in an increasingly globalized world. First, the treaty would help protect the environment by setting up a framework for the allocation of ocean resources to ensure that no country could destroy any vital ocean ecosystems through overfishing or destructive seabed mining practices. Second, the treaty would help U.S. businesses by giving the U.S. sole jurisdiction over almost 300,000 square miles of ocean territory, much of which contains significant oil and mineral deposits. Third, LOST would help ensure the effectiveness of the U.S. military by guaranteeing the U.S. navy and air force full mobility.

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• Law of the Sea Treaty