For years, ratifying the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been framed as a debate over maritime law and sovereignty, despite consistent support from the Pentagon, industry leaders and bipartisan national security officials. Presidents have backed it and more than two decades ago, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously urged accession.
And yet, the United States has never acted.
This is the moment.
Between continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz and a fast-moving race for critical minerals on the ocean floor, the U.S. has been handed something rare in foreign policy: a clear, time-bound strategic opening.
Maritime Order Without Membership
Let’s start with Hormuz.
Even at the height of regional instability, the world still looks to American naval power to step