Kyoto protocol and the deep seabed regime of UNCLOS III

摘要

The 2 December 20G3 refusal by Russia to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and a similar stand adopted by the US since March 2001 compare with the non-ratification of UNCLOS HI (Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) by the US and other industrialized countries in protest against its provisions on the deep seabed regime. The multilateral treaties like UNCLOS and Kyoto Protocol are consensus-driven agreements to address the current and future concerns, and adopt a regulatory framework for improvements in their respective jurisdiction. The non-ratification of the Protocol by the US, Russia and Australia will weaken the attempts at implementation resulting in delays and uncertainty of such treaties. While the European Union and Japan are backing the Kyoto Protocol, the UNCLOS suffered for lack of support from the industrialized countries with deep seabed mining interests, particularly the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Russia, France, Italy and the Netherlands, until the implementation agreement of 1994 intervened to restore the confidence of these countries in the deep seabed mining component of the treaty. The UNCLOS has since come into being from 16 November 1994, with major industrialized countries accepting the changes, while the US has publicly stated its intention on becoming a state party as soon as possible. India ratified UNCLOS on 29 June 1995,