Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a statement earlier today calling for disputes between China and the Philippines over resources in the South China Sea to be resolved according to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The statement supports Philippine claims that they have the right to explore oil resources within 370 kilometers of their shore. Philippine officials allege Chinese naval vessels have interfered with such exploration, as Beijing asserts that they have historical rights to virtually all of the South China Sea. While the U.S. does not formally take sides in the competing claims of the two nations over the oil and mineral rich body of water, Clinton affirmed that no nation should be able to force its will through coercion or intimidation.

Getting two-thirds of the Senate to agree on anything is a daunting task. So it was no small feat when the Senate approved New START, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, during its December lame duck session. New START was the first major international agreement passed by the Senate since the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1997.

The United States is a bit schizophrenic when it comes to treaties. The U.S. government does a great job negotiating them. From the International Criminal Court to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, U.S. diplomats have forged very constructive compromises on major human rights and security agreements. Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate has a history of letting these accords molder.  The Senate and the White House still have a long list of treaties that are overdue for ratification.

The island nation of Tuvalu has less than 10 square miles of total actual land area. Those ten square miles of land area hold the 12,000 residents of this tiny nation. Lately, environmentalists around the world have been infatuated with Tuvalu. But why? Tuvalu's islands are mere feet above sea level and the slightest increase in sea level threatens life on the islands. Increases in sea level are caused by the emission of greenhouse gases. Close to Tuvalu, the Federated States of Micronesia have dealt with similar troubles. The Federated States of Micronesia already had to declare a national emergency last year due to a rise in sea levels. The government spent more than 7 percent of its budget and  $42 million to bring rice and drinking water to the islands. Taro, one of the staple foods on the island had been impossible to grow due to the increase in sea levels and rising high tides as the soil has been soured and the aquifer heavily salted.

This weekend, the Executive Office of the President sent its first signal of support for US ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, joined by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Jane Lubchenco and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen published an article in the Seattle times on the topic of stewardship of the Oceans in which they strongly endorsed the ratification of the treaty: