On the 25th of August YCAPS hosted a discussion with Steven Groves and Jonathan Odom as a part of its Indo-Pacific Maritime Hour webinar series. The event was co-sponsored by The Stockton Center for International Law, U.S. Naval War College (SCIL) and was off-the-record.
They discussed the barrier of the US joining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the prospect of accession in President Biden’s term, and the pros and cons of US accession. Cmdr. Jonathan G. Odom (in Germany, where it was 2:00 a.m.) outlined his support for the US to join UNCLOS. Steven Groves (in Rhode Island, USA ) discussed if the US will or should join UNCLOS. Topics discussed revolved around Article 82, pros and cons of joining UNCLOS, and the Law of the Sea Treaty.
After 25 minutes, a question and answer discussion. Topics discussed revolved around Article 82, pros and cons of joining UNCLOS, deep sea mining, the Law of the Sea Treaty, and international tribunals, as well as the future roles of the US and China. Overall, the presentations, discussion, and Chat were detailed and erudite.
By Patricia Yarrow for YCAPS