Kaine, Colleagues, Reintroduce Bipartisan Resolution Calling on U.S. Senate to Ratify UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Seapower and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, (D-VA) and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues reintroduced a resolution urging the U.S. Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 170 parties, defines the rights and responsibilities of nations regarding the world’s oceans—including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources—and provides a legal framework to protect those rights while avoiding conflict.

“Ensuring freedom of navigation is critical to protecting our economic and national security,” said Kaine. “The U.S. should not sit on the sidelines when it comes to this important issue, and that’s why I’m calling on my colleagues to ratify UNCLOS.”

UNCLOS is a comprehensive legal framework governing all uses of the world’s oceans and seas, and their resources. It also allows for further development of specific areas of the law of the sea. It is the globally recognized framework for dealing with all matters relating to the law of the sea, governing areas including, but not limited to, environmental control, marine scientific research, economic and commercial activities, and the settlement of disputes relating to ocean matters.

The treaty was opened for signature on December 10, 1982 and was entered into force on November 16, 1994. The United States signed UNCLOS on July 29, 1994, but the U.S. Senate has not yet voted to ratify the treaty, despite urging from environmental, scientific, labor, and industry organizations.

U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led the resolution. In addition to Kaine, the bill was cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Angus King (I-ME).

The full text of the resolution is available here.

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