Originally designed by the U.N. in the 1970's, the treaty turns over control of the ocean floor to the United Nations, who have the responsibility of creating a beaucracy to oversee activities on, over and beneath the world's oceans. President Clinton signed a modified version of the treaty in the 1990's, but the bill just got around to being voted on by the Senate.
According to Research International, the treaty ".. focuses primarily on navigational and transit issues. The Treaty also contains provisions on the regulation of deep-sea mining and the redistribution of wealth to underdeveloped countries--as well as sections regarding marine trade, pollution, research, and dispute resolution."
The Bush Administration has indicated support for the LOST agreement, but it's a very bad idea. President Reagan objected to this treaty in the 1980's for the following reasons (and they are still valid today):
- Restriction and regulation of the movement of warships on the high seas.
- Restriction of free enterprise in favor of redistribution of wealth.
- Regulation of deep-sea mining with yearly payoffs to the U.N.
- Corporations cannot protest U.N. actions; the country of origin of the corporation can.
- Nations are taxed for use of the oceans without the consent of the people of those nations.
- Redistribution of minerals to landlocked nations in disproportionate numbers restricts available minerals for the rest of the world.
- A U.N. court decides disputes over and above previous international treaties.
A treaty that demands that its signatory nations turn over their sovereignty on the high seas to the United Nations is a bad thing. Control of the world's oceans belongs to the entire world, not one nation or organization.
Sink this treaty and fast, Senators.
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