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)

Law of the Sea - This time Bush is on the right side

It’s not often that President George W. Bush supports an international treaty, but he’s come out in favor of the Law of the Sea. Many conservatives strongly oppose Senate ratification of this treaty, which is consistent with their overall attitude that international treaties are not for us.

Citizens for Global Solutions describes the Law of the Sea: “The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a set of rules for the use of the world’s oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface….UNCLOS came into force in 1994, and to date, 152 countries and the European Commission have joined the treaty. The United States has not.”

The best source of information I’ve found about the status of the Law of the Sea treaty is Scott Paul, who writes for Steve Clemons’ The Washington Note. Paul is Deputy Director of Government Relations at Citizens for Global Solutions.

On May 14, 2007, Paul wrote Big News: Bush Will Push the Law of the Sea, in which he reported,”Last week, President George W. Bush outraged the most extreme conservative leaders, telling them that he will publicly call on the Senate to ratify UNCLOS. The administration has supported the treaty for years, but President Bush has never personally weighed in.”

Paul then reports on the behind-the-scenes activities that help explain Bush’s public support for Senate ratification of the Law of the Sea treaty.

On June 1, 2007, Paul posted Frank Gaffney Wants War for Oil Instead of Law of the Sea. Who is Frank Gaffney? Check here.

Paul’s articles are full of links to more information, and the Citizens for Global Solutions link to the Law of the Sea has a huge list of individuals and organizations supporting it.

Apparently the Senate will be voting on the Law of the Sea treaty in early July. You might want to keep your eye on this issue.

(photo: TeAra.govt.nz)