By: Paul Saffo
What is the kernel of the issue?
UNCLOS—the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—has languished unratified by the United States for 25 years despite the support of successive Administrations and interested parties from the US Chamber of Commerce to the Pentagon.
Why is the issue important?
This has left a host of issues to fester, from environmental protection and preservation of diminishing fish stocks, to suppression of high seas piracy and most critically the principle of freedom of navigation and transit passage.
What is the recommendation?
The Biden administration should make ratification of UNCLOS a priority so the United States can have a voice and benefit from its provisions. Among other things, it might just help calm the waters in the Taiwan Strait.