Publication

This special report explores an important element of the maritime policy regime, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The author examines the international negotiations that led to the convention as well as the history of debates in the US over whether to join it. He then analyzes the strategic importance of the oceans for US foreign policy. The report ultimately makes a strong case for the US to accede to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, contending that doing so would benefit US national security as well as America's economic and environmental interests.