Politics

UNCLOS and Arctic Seabed Competition: Does U.S. Non-Ratification Strengthen or Weaken Its Position Relative to Russia?

Executive Summary: U.S. non-ratification of UNCLOS preserves regulatory autonomy by avoiding key obligations under Article 82 and the International Seabed Authority (ISA), including revenue-sharing requirements for extended continental shelf exploitation and deep-seabed mining. However, non-ratification prevents the United States from submitting Arctic continental shelf claims to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf … Continue reading →