Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the
UN Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST).
More than 160 countries are signatories to LOST, which sets
the rules for commercial and environmental management of the world's marine
resources and determines exclusive economic zones. The Clinton and Bush
administrations supported treaty ratification; however, previous Congressional
concern that the treaty threatens US sovereignty and gives the United Nations too
much control over oil and other mineral rights prevented
ratification. Clashes between China and its neighbors over oil deposits in
the South China Sea have recently brought the issue to fore.
LOST is currently under review by the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee (SFRC), who summoned the Secretary of State, Secretary of
Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to testify before the
Committee on 23 May 2012. The SFRC plans to hold future hearings with additional
Administration officials and representatives from major companies to testify
about the treaties importance. I am confident the SFRC will extensively examine their
testimony with an eye toward the Obama administration's renewed push to ratify
the treaty and the Pentagon's strategic pivot towards Asia.
Again, thank you for contacting me. For further information
or to sign up for my newsletter please visit my website at http://warner.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator
Posts
