AK HJR22

Alaska Legislature urges the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

The treaty permits member nations to claim an exclusive economic zone extending 200 nautical miles from shore with exclusive rights to explore and develop living and nonliving resources including deep sea mining

The United States Arctic Research Commission estimates ratification would permit the U.S. to claim an area of northern seabed off Alaska equal in size to California beyond the current 200-mile exclusive economic zone

155 nations have ratified the treaty including all U.S. allies and maritime powers, but the U.S. remains the only Arctic nation that has not ratified it; ratification has been pending before the Senate since 1994 despite favorable committee reports in 2004 and 2007

Until ratified, the United States cannot participate in deliberations regarding oil, gas, mineral resources in the Arctic, scientific research, navigation rules, or environmental concerns related to ocean use