Petition Text: 21045-CS-R79-U

Understanding Petition Numbers

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Amend "The Law of the Sea," p. 79, The Book of Resolutions:

We recognize that "All creation is the Lord's and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it." (1980 Statement of Social Principles)

[Fourth paragraph] But this ideal is not yet expressed in international treaty. So the race is one to see who will be able to exploit and control the resources of the seas. The question facing the peoples of the world is whether global cooperation or global anarchy will prevail.

The best hope for global cooperation is through the United Nations, where representatives of the nations of the world are at work in the conference on developed the Law of the Sea.

The Law of the Sea conference worked hopes to produce a fair...

The United Nations, Law of the Sea Treaty is concerned with protecting this "common heritage" of humankind humanity. is negotiating international agreements to It would:

--guarantee unimpeded access to over 100 straits, facilitating commercial transportation;...

--prevent conflicts or "cod wars" like the one between Iceland and England over fishing waters;

We also affirm our support for the evolution of effective "commons" law, such as the treaties now under development for the Antarctic, climate, biodiversity, and outer space, which supports our obligations of stewardship, justice, and peace.

Therefore, we urge all United Methodists to become informed about all of the aspects of "Law of the Sea," one of the most critical and least understood issues of our day.

Further, we urge all United Methodists to become informed about the Law of the Sea, and to call upon their governments to commit themselves to the development of a just and equitable implementation of the Law of the Sea Treaty, treaty through the United Nations Conference on Law of the Sea and to ratification of the treaty by our respective governments.

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Petition Text: 21045-CS-R79-U
1996 United Methodist General Conference