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7 Geo. Int'l Envtl. L. Rev. 651 (1994-1995)
United States Accession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

handle is hein.journals/gintenlr7 and id is 659 raw text is: United States Accession to the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea
DAVID A. COLSON*
I. INTRODUCTION
Thank you very much for this opportunity to address the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (Convention), and the important
implications it has for all Americans. I am honored to be part of this
meeting which brings together a group of people that has worked through
the years to make the Convention a reality.
The background of the group illustrates the important bipartisan nature
of the U.S. approach. Each Administration has consistently searched for a
widely accepted international framework within which to advance U.S.
ocean interests. All Administrations have been of the strongly held belief
that a comprehensive international consensus, versus ad hoc regional or
bilateral arrangements, is the best way to promote, protect, and preserve
those interests. I will not detail those interests at this stage, as others will
discuss them in depth throughout the day. Let us just say for now that they
are massive; they are vital. They range from national security interests to
those that now fall under the rubric of sustainable use of ocean resources.
The Convention, as now modified, provides the comprehensive interna-
tional framework that our country has sought for many years. Apart from
the recently concluded trade agreement, it is perhaps the most significant
example of the attainment of consensus in a major multilateral negotiation
since the establishment of the United Nations - a consensus which in all
respects serves to buttress U.S. national security needs while providing
important tools to protect our marine environment and promote the
sustainable use of ocean resources. It would be a great achievement in
international law for the United States to join with other major maritime
powers and now formally consent to accession to this Convention.
* Ambassador David A. Colson is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and
Fisheries Affairs. After service in the Peace Corps and the Marine Corps, Ambassador Colson
earned his J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley and joined the Legal Advisor's Office at the
Department of State. He was the Deputy Agent in a maritime boundary dispute with Canada heard
before the International Court of Justice. He has also served as the United States' Yukon River
Negotiator and Coordinator, the Pacific Salmon Commissioner and as Chairman of the United
Nations Environment Program Ad Hoc Group of Legal Experts on Environmental Impact Assess-
ment. He has written numerous articles on maritime law, including boundary disputes, fisheries, and
Antarctica.

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