United States and Canadian Policy Processes in Law of the Sea

In the years 1958 and 1960, the United States and Canada were among 88 nations engaged in negotiations on the law of the sea. The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea began in December 1973, met again in Caracas in June-August 1974 and is to continue in 1975. The United States and Canada are among 138 nations taking part in efforts to reach agreement on an international treaty governing the use of an area comprising 70 percent of the earth's surface. In this international lawmaking exercise, the governments of Canada and the U.S. play very active roles.