PRESS RELEASE: SFRC Passes Vital International Treaty

Washington, D.C. -- Citizens for Global Solutions commends the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) for its overwhelming passage of The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOS) today.  The treaty was passed with strong bipartisan support by a vote of17-4.

The LOS is a set of rules for the use of the world’s oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. The Convention was concluded in 1982 to replace a group of 1958 treaties that were out of date and unfavorable to America’s economy and security. LOS came into force in 1994, and to date, 155 countries and the European Commission have joined the treaty.  Today’s passage in the SFRC now paves the way for the full Senate to ratify the treaty.

“We are extremely pleased with the Committee’s strong endorsement of this critical agreement. It is our firm belief that this treaty will significantly advance U.S. goals and restore our international leadership role,” said Citizens for Global Solutions Executive Vice President Don Kraus.  “President Bush should work closely with Senate leaders to bring this treaty to a vote as soon as possible.”

“Joining the convention will ensure that other countries recognize the navigational and overflight rights that our armed forces depend on and put us in a position to protect marine life and prevent pollution,” Kraus said. “This will help keep us safe, healthy, defend our interests at sea and enhance collaboration with our allies.”

This international treaty is supported by a broad range of groups: environmentalists, the business community, the military, the Bush administration and peace organizations.  “The breadth of this ‘strange bedfellow’ coalition illustrates how out of the mainstream the treaty’s opponents are,” Kraus said.

In 2004 all 19 members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted unanimously in favor of LOS. Although not a single Senator abstained or voted against the treaty, then Majority Leader Frist never brought it to the floor for a vote.

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Notes to Editors:
Citizens for Global Solutions is a non-partisan membership organization that envisions a future in which nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no one nation can solve alone.