Republican Secretaries of State Endorse Law of the Sea Treaty

John Bellinger
Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 10:15 PM
Raff has noted in recent posts some of the conservative opposition to the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention.  But the treaty is supported by many senior Republican officials.  Last Thursday all of the living Republican Secretaries of State -- Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, James Baker, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice -- signed a joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal urging the Senate to approve the treaty.  They argue:  "The continuing delay of U.S.
Meet The Authors

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

Subscribe to Lawfare
Raff has noted in recent posts some of the conservative opposition to the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention.  But the treaty is supported by many senior Republican officials.  Last Thursday all of the living Republican Secretaries of State -- Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, James Baker, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice -- signed a joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal urging the Senate to approve the treaty.  They argue:  "The continuing delay of U.S. accession to the convention compromises our nation's authority to exercise our sovereign interest, jeopardizes our national and economic security, and limits our leadership role in international ocean policy."   The Secretaries of State join every former Legal Adviser of the State Department, every former Chief of Naval Operations, and all of U.S. business -- the oil & gas, shipping, mining, and telecommunications industries -- in supporting the treaty.
Back to Top
John Bellinger

John Bellinger

Read More
John B. Bellinger III is a partner in the international and national security law practices at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. He is also Adjunct Senior Fellow in International and National Security Law at the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as The Legal Adviser for the Department of State from 2005–2009, as Senior Associate Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council at the White House from 2001–2005, and as Counsel for National Security Matters in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice from 1997–2001.

Subscribe to Lawfare