Hope of Ratification
After Russia planted its flag on the North Pole sea bottom, it has become more obvious that we have to work together, US. Assistant Secretary of State Claudia McMurray recently said in Moscow
Recently US. Assistant Secretary of State Claudia McMurray held meetings with Russian government representatives, in which she especially highlighted environmental issues and the rapid climate changes in the Arctic.
Analysts now believe the USA in the near future will ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the main agreement on Arctic shelf delineation. In a press conference, Ms MacMarray said to journalists that "we are talking not about Russia and the USA, but about all the five countries with borders towards the Arctic shelf. [...] After Russia planted its flag on the North Pole sea bottom, it has become more obvious that we have to work together within all fields of joint interest - within oil, gas and tourism", she said.
The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which took place from 1973 through 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.
The USA is one of 24 countries, which have signed but not yet ratified the convention. Norway ratified it in 1996, followed by Russia in 1997, Canada in 2003 and Denmark in 2004.