Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
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Additionally,ournationalmaritimesecuritystrategy haslongrequiredworldwidemobility.Globalmobilityrequiresundisputedaccessthroughandaround international straits such as the Bering Strait, the NorthwestPassage,andtheNorthernSeaRoutefrom EuropetoAsia.Theentireinternationalcommunity wouldbeneftfromafnalresolutionofanydisputed pointsinthesecriticalroutes.Moreover,therelevant provisionsoftheconventionguaranteethesecritically importanttransitrightstomilitaryandcivilianvessels,aircraft,andsubmarines omatterthepurpose —n ofthetransit,thenatureofthecargo,orthemeansof propulsion. UNCLOS Economic Benefits From an economic perspective, the United States emergesaclearwinnerundertheconvention'sprovisionsontheexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ)and thecontinentalshelf,duetoitslengthycoastlineand islandpossessionsthatborderonseveralparticularly productiveoceanareassuchastheBeringSea.The UnitedStateshasthelargestandrichestEEZinthe world.Also,ourextendedcontinentalshelfhasenormouspotentialduetooilandgasreserves,particu- 54 Proceedings Summer 2013 larlyintheBering,Chukchi,andBeaufortSeaswest and north of Alaska. DiscoveriesbythecrewaboardtheUSCGicebreaker Healy reveal that the U.S. continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean is much more extensive than originallythought.Nevertheless,onlybybecomingparty to the convention and participating in its processes cantheUnitedStatesobtainsecuretitletothesevast resources,addinganareatwicethesizeoftheLouisianaPurchase(some290,000squaremiles)forU.S. sovereignresourceexploitation.5 Despite claims from critics of the convention that the UnitedStatescouldandshoulddevelopitscontinentalshelfresourcesbeyond200mileswithoutbecomingapartytoUNCLOS,itstandstoreasonthatany oil,gas,orminingcompanywouldwantthelegal certaintyoftheconventionbeforeinvestingbillions ofdollarstodevelopanoffshorefeld,nomatterhow richitmightbe.6Inaddition,theconvention'sdeep seabedminingprovisions,asamendedin1994,would permitandencourageAmericanbusinessestopursue free-market-orientedapproachestodeepoceanmining,includingintheArcticOcean. www.uscg.mil/proceedings