U.S. arctic strategy would be strengthened if U.S. acceded to UNCLOS
There are currently 160 parties to UNCLOS, including four of the five Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Russia (which joined in 1997).31 As of 2009, the United States had not yet acceded to the Convention, despite extensive and bipartisan support for it to do so.32 And while the United States bestows the status of customary international law on most UNCLOS provisions,33 the failure of the United States to accede to the treaty has deprived it of a “seat at the table when the rights that are vital to [U.S.] interests are debated and interpreted.”34 Non-party status precludes the United States from submitting an application for the recognition of any extended continental shelf it may be able to claim in the Arctic. Indeed, to the extent the United States is concerned about the adherence of Russia or any other country to the laws and norms that apply to the Arctic, the United States would considerably strengthen its position by swiftly acceding to the Convention.