My awards for best coverage of the Law of the Sea Treaty

On October 31st, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 17-4 in favor of sending the Law of the Sea Treaty to the full Senate.

I’ve been following this issue for some time now, and would like to make the following awards:

Best blog: The Washington Note (TWN): Scott Paul, Deputy Director of Government Relations for Citizens for Global Solutions, has consistently kept us informed on this issue since he joined Steve Clemons at TWN earlier this year. Scroll through these TWN links, and you’ll be up to speed on the Law of the Sea in no time.

Best mainstream media coverage: The New York Times: July 14th op-ed, August 25th editorial, October 31st editorial, and November 3rd op-ed, by Gail Collins, titled “My Favorite Menace.”

Best magazine coverage: Harper's Magazine: The September, 2007 issue has a fascinating article by McKenzie Funk, Cold rush: The coming fight for the melting north. Check it out at the public library or subscribe and get access to Harper's archive online. Funk accompanied Canadian sailors, Mounties, and Vandoos (young camo-clad teenagers belonging to a Quebec regiment) as they conducted a “sovereignty operation” in the far north in the frigate Montreal. You can also listen to a 40 minute interview of McKenzie Funk here.

This is a big story. I'll be watching to see if the Senate ratifies the treaty.

(Photo: Georgetown University)