U.S. Senate on Wednesday was urgedto ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea forthe sake of diplomatic, economic and security interests of America. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, U. S.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta,as well as Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,made a strong case of the need for the U.S. to join the treaty. Stressing the urgency of U.S. joining the convention, Clinton saidthat most U.S. military, political and economic communities nowsupport the U.S. accession to the treaty, which could bring aboutmany benefits not only for national security, but also for itseconomy. "We have a coalition of environmental, conservation, business,industry and security groups all in support of this convention,"she said. Clinton listed four major reasons for her argument, includingacquiring extended area of continental shelf for oil and gasexploration, conducting deep seabed mining on ocean floor beyondany country's control, asserting U.S. interests to the Arcticregion, and influencing the decision-making bodies created underthe convention. The top U.S. diplomat rejected the claims by some U.S. critics whooppose the U.S. accession to the treaty that such move couldsurrender U.S. sovereignty to an international body, includingsubjecting the U.S. to binding dispute settlement under the treaty,and paying benefit of resource rights beyond the 200-mile zonealong its coast. "The benefits of joining have always been significant, but todaythe costs of not joining are increasing," Clinton warned. For his part, Panetta said he strongly believes that the accessionto the convention "is absolutely essential," not only to the U.S.economic and diplomatic interests, but also to its securityinterests. "If we are sitting at the international table of nations, we candefend our interests. We can defend our claims. We can lead thediscussion in trying to influence treaty bodies that develop andinterpret the Law of the Sea," Panetta said. Joining the treaty will also give the U.S. authority to support andpromote the peaceful resolution of disputes within a rules- basedorder, as well as secure the U.S. freedom of navigation and ofoverflight rights throughout the Arctic, he said. "For too long, we have undermined our diplomatic authority to fightfor our rights ad our maritime interests and for too long we 'veallowed our inability to act to impair our national security,"Panetta said. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,also sided with Clinton and Panetta in supporting the U. S.approval of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Kerry added that, in order to exclude politics from the process ofratifying the treaty, he would not bring it to a vote at the Senatebefore the presidential elections due in November. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, reached in 1982 andbecame effective in 1994, has been signed by 161 countries. U.S.conservatives in Congress have blocked ratification of the treatyfor years, arguing that it will give too much power to aninternational body over mineral rights. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as DC UPS Power Supply , China 110V UPS for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Line Interactive UPS.
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