The Debate: Time for the United States to Sign the Law of the Sea Treaty?

The United States is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a treaty it rejected in 1982. This Debate addresses implementation of the accord’s environmental and natural resource provisions, which caused the U.S. pullout. With another new administration taking over and possibly signing the treaty, UNCLOS, led by Washington, could help to secure benefits for all Americans while helping the oceans overcome climate change, pollution threats, and biodiversity collapse.