A note on the United States and the Law of the Sea: Looking back and moving forward

In October 2003, The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a set of hearings to examine the merits of domestic "ratification" of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. On March 11, 2004, the committee favorably reported the treaty to the full Senate with a resolution of advice and consent to be voted upon, a significant step in movement toward U.S. accession to the Convention. This contribution examines the ratification/accession effort in the context of recent U.S. history. In light of the United States's decade-long refrain from accession, the question "why now?" is posited. The answer may lie in the global commercial, political, defense, and strategic reasons approaching a critical mass necessary to overcome longstanding objections. Finally, regardless of the result of a Senate vote, a series of "what's next?" questions will arise.