Law Of The Sea Convention Stalls In US Senate

"The Law of the Sea Convention, an international treaty governing uses of the world's oceans, was steaming toward Senate ratification last fall, backed by everyone from the White House to the Navy to lawmakers from both political parties.

But U.S. approval may be capsized by conservatives wary of having the country sign any more international agreements, especially one overseen by the United Nations (news - web sites). The Bush administration appears to have backed away from the treaty, and despite exhortations by such Republicans as Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record) of Indiana, Senate leaders are making no effort to bring the treaty to a vote.

If the U.S. doesn't ratify the pact this year, as appears increasingly likely, Washington could be cut out of efforts to rewrite the rules on issues such as ocean navigation, seabed mining and commercial fishing.

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But opponents argue that the relevant rules are in place without U.S. ratification of the treaty. Joining the accord would require the U.S. to operate within the confines of another international bureaucracy, they say, without significant benefits. Sen. James Inhofe (news, bio, voting record) (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, held a hearing last month to highlight concerns about the treaty. "It is time to slow down and take a critical evaluation" of the treaty, Inhofe said, adding that he had "many concerns."

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