The United States is already a party to 20 treaties that govern all types of maritime matters related to the oceans and seas, and it would be unwise to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also known as the Law of the Sea Treaty, or “LOST.” For at least six decades, the United States has been the leading nation in developing international law and practice relating to navigation and use of international waters. Most of the current legal provisions in maritime law are contained in the 20 treaties the USA is already a party to, many provisions of which have become customary international law. As attorney Steven Groves of the Heritage Foundation documented, “for more than 200 years before UNCLOS came into existence in 1982 and during the almost 30 years since then, the United States has successfully preserved and protected its maritime interests regardless of the fact that it has not acceded to the convention.”
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