UNCLOS should be coming to the floor again in the next couple of months - now is the time to let your Senators know that you want them to support the treaty.

Earlier this month during environmental and territorial talks between 60 countries and international organizations, Secretary of State Clinton remarked that she and President Obama are "committed" to ratifying the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While this is good to hear... we've heard it before! President Bush and many other leaders before him have supported the Law of the Sea Convention, but in the 27 years since it's inception, it has yet to become ratified by Congress.

As the UNCLOS is expected to come to the floor for a vote in the next couple of months, NOW is the time to let your Senators know that you want them to support the treaty

And today, Earth Day, is an especially fitting day to act. UNCLOS takes huge measures to ensure the protection of marine animals and resources in our oceans, which cover over 70% of the earth. While the United States already has laws in place to prevent ocean pollution and protect wildlife, unless we ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, we do not have a seat on the International Seabed Authority, which regulates deep sea mining. Thus, it is in our economical best interest as well to ratify the Treaty, especially since ratification would grant the U.S. 3.65 million square miles in ocean territory.

It is also worth noting, with the recent surge in pirate attacks, that ratification of UNCLOS will help protect our military's ability to freely navigate the oceans. Because we have not ratified the Law of the Sea Treaty, we have to rely on customary laws, which can change at any time that a State chooses and endanger our security. Ratification will establish a legally-binding framework by which to conduct our military operations at sea.

In 1983, former President Reagan enacted laws to conform to all but one portion, Part XI, of UNCLOS. Since then, Part XI has been reworked and all of the U.S. concerns have been addressed. Let us finally ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty and gain all of the benefits of membership.

Tell your Senators today that you want to see the Law of the Sea ratified - to the benefit of our environment, our economy, and our national security.