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Now is the time to join. byDR.JOHN T. OLIVER Senior Ocean Advisor Emerging Policy Staff U.S. Coast Guard Partnerships and Governance The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea MR.STEVE G. VENCKUS Deputy Chief U.S. Coast Guard Offce of Maritime and International Law TheArcticregion,fundamentallyamaritimeregime, isoneoftheworld'slastfrozenfrontiers.Moreover, thisicyregionisheatingup,notjustfromawarmingclimateandmeltingice,butfromchangingglobal prioritiesandemergingchallengesandopportunities. Extendingsovereignty,exploration,andexploitation resonateamongnationschartingnewcoursesinand throughtheArcticregion. Aswithanyfrontier,theremustbeacommonruleof lawtoguidestatesintheirpursuits.Thisiscriticalif wearetosuccessfullyexertmaritimegovernanceto ensuremarinersmaysafelyandsecurelyapproach ourshoresandtravelinourwaters.The1982U.N. 1 ConventionontheLawoftheSea isthebestcompass andframeworkforstatestodeterminetheirpositions withrespecttoeachotherandtheemergingopportunitiesandchallengesinthatremotepartoftheworld. EightnationsbordertheArctic.SevenofthoseArctic nationsarepartytotheconventionwiththeexception ofone heUnitedStates. —t UNCLOS: What Are We Waiting For? Senior military and U.S. national security leaders involved in Arctic affairs agree 2 the time has come tojointheconvention hismovewouldprovidea —t www.uscg.mil/proceedings uniformgovernanceframeworktopromoteAmericaninterestsanddramaticallyextendourresourcerelatedsovereigntyinthatregion.Theconvention, whichcodifesabroadrangeofinternationallegal principlesapplicabletotheoceanregime,represents atremendousadvanceinpromotingandprotecting abroadrangeofcriticalinterestsandgoals.Having suchalegalregimeinplaceisvitaltothepropermanagementofanincreasinglyaccessibleArctic. WhiletheLawoftheSeaConventionhasnowbeen inforceformorethan160statesworldwide(plusthe EuropeanUnion),includingvirtuallyallofthemajor maritimepowersandouralliesandtradingpartners,3 thefullU.S.Senatehasnevertakenavoteontheconvention.4 However,withtheSenateForeignRelationsCommitteehavingheldadditionalhearingsin2004,2007,and 2012,thereisnowanopportunityfortheSenateto votefortheUnitedStatestoregainitsnaturalleadership position in the development of the international lawofthesea.Atthesametime,joiningtheconventionwouldpromotecriticalnationalsecurity,global mobility, economic, scientific, and environmental interests in the Arctic region. Summer 2013 Proceedings 53