Originally published on the CGS blog on November 16, 2011.
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.
The administration’s position is a strong endorsement of the international treaty, despite the fact that the Senate has yet to ratify the convention. It comes at a politically opportune time, as Senate leaders are considering new efforts to ratify UNCLOS. Access to the South China Sea is one of the strongest examples of the importance of the treaty, as one-third of the world’s shipping travels through its waters, with huge oil and gas reserves under its seabed. China’s attempts to unfairly dominate the South China Sea violate UNCLOS and should push the U.S. to get serious about ratifying the treaty.
Don Kraus, CGS’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “The stakes are higher than ever for the U.S. to ratify UNCLOS.” UNCLOS sets the rules for the world’s oceans, defines maritime zones, protects the environment, preserves freedom of navigation, and establishes guidelines for businesses that depend on the sea for jobs and resources. Kraus added, “[U.S.] absence from the convention handicaps our ability to exploit (or conserve) precious marine resources and protect our investments.”
Secretary Clinton and Philippine Foreign Minister Albert Del Rosario also signed a declaration reaffirming a 60-year old mutual defense treaty between their two nations. In her remarks, Clinton stressed that the bilateral agreement is about more than just mutual defense, as it also focuses on maritime security and highlights the mutual interest in maintaining freedom of navigation across the seas. Indeed, ratifying UNCLOS would promote these security and navigation interests on a global scale.
UNCLOS came into effect in 1994, and to date, 158 countries and the European Union have ratified the treaty. The treaty protects vital environmental, economic, and security concerns of coastal states and is of vital importance to American interests. The time is now for the Senate to do what is right for our nation and for the world. Click here to read more about the Law of the Sea.
