A broad coalition of American business, political and military leaders – including all living former U.S. Presidents and Secretaries of State, as well as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, current and former Army, Marine and Air Force generals and Navy and Coast Guard admirals – support the Law of the Sea Treaty’s ratification. Click on these section headers to skip down to a list of specific stakeholders:
- National Security Officials & Experts
- Business & Labor Organizations
- Policymakers & Academics
- Non-Governmental Organizations & Other Experts
National Security Officials & Experts back to top
- Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense
- Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
- General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State
- Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy
- Robert O. Work, Under Secretary of the Navy
- Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., Commander of USNORTHCOMM and NORAD
- Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command
- General William M. Fraser III, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command
- General Douglas M. Fraser, Commander of U.S. Southern Command
- General James N. Mattis, Commander of U.S. Central Command
- General C. Robert Kehler, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command
- Admiral James G. Stravridis, Commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe
- Vice Admiral James W. Houck, Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy
- Rear Admiral William Baumgartner, Sevent District Commander, U.S. Coast Guard
- Captain Melissa Bert, Military Fellow of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Harold Koh, Legal Adviser, Department of State
- William S. Cohen, Former Secretary of Defense
- Robert Gates, Former Secretary of Defense
- Melvin R. Laird, Former Secretary of Defense
- Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State and Former National Security Advisor
- Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State and Former U.S. Representative to the United Nations
- James A. Baker, III, Former Secretary of State
- Colin Powell, Former Secretary of State
- Condoleezza Rice, Former Secretary of State
- George P. Shultz, Former Secretary of State
- Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of Homeland Security
- Stephen Hadley, Former National Security Advisor
- General James Jones (ret.), Former National Security Advisor
- Robert C. McFarlane, Former National Security Advisor
- Admiral James D. Watkins (ret.), Former Secretary of Energy and Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Gordon England, Former Secretary of the Navy, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
- Sean O'Keefe, Former Secretary of the Navy
- Donald C. Winter, Former Secretary of the Navy
- Thomas R. Pickering, Former U.S. Representative to the United Nations and Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- John C. Danforth, Former U.S. Representative to the United Nations and Former U.S. Senator
- Lee H. Hamilton, Former Chairman of U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Admiral Mike Mullen, Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- General Richard Myers (ret.), Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- General Peter Pace (ret.), Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- General Henry H. Shelton (ret.), Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Frank Loy, Former Under Secretary of State
- Antonia Chayes, Former Under Secretary of the Air Force
- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (ret.), Former Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Former Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- William Taft, IV, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Richard Armitage, Former Deputy Secretary of State
- John Negroponte, Former Deputy Secretary of State and Former U.S. Representative to the United Nations
- James Steinberg, Former Deputy Secretary of State
- Strobe Talbott, Former Deputy Secretary of State
- John C. Whitehead, Former Deputy Secretary of State
- Joseph A. Benkert, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense
- Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr., Former General Counsel, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
- Kenneth Adelman, Former Director, U.S. Arms Control Agency and Former Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations
- David R. Andrews, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- John Bellinger, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Herbert L. Hansell, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Conrad K. Harper, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Roberts B. Owen, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Davis R. Robinson, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Abraham D. Sofar, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Edwin D. Williamson, Former Legal Adviser, Department of State
- Admiral Thad Allen (ret.), Former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Admiral Vern Clark (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Thomas Collins (ret.), Former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Admiral T. B. Hayward (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral J. L. Holloway (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Jay Johnson (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Frank Kelso (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Robert E. Kramek (ret.), Former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Admiral James M. Loy (ret.), Former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Admiral Joseph W. Prueher (ret.), Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command and Former Vice Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Gary Roughead (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral C. A. H. Trost (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Patrick Walsh, Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet
- Admiral James D. Watkins (ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
- Admiral Robert Willard (ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
- Admiral Paul Yost (ret.), Former Commandant of the US Coast Guard
- General George W. Casey (ret.), Former Chief of Staff of the Army
- General James T. Conway (ret.), Former Commandant of the Marine Corps
- General T. Michael Moseley (ret.), Former Chief of Staff of the Air Force
- General Victor Renuart (ret.), Former Commander of USNORTHCOM and NORAD
- Vice Admiral James Doyle (ret.)
- Vice Admiral Roger T. Rufe, Jr. (ret.)
- Rear Admiral John W. Lockwood (ret.)
- Rear Admiral James Lohr, (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Rear Admiral James McPherson, (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Rear Admiral William O. Miller, (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Rear Admiral Horace Robertson, (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Rear Admiral William L. Schachte, Jr. (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Rear Admiral Rick Schiff, (ret.), Former Judge Advocate General’s Corps
- Captain Gail Harris (ret.)
- Captain George Galdorisi (ret.)
Business & Labor Organizations back to top
- American Chemistry Council
- American Exploration and Production Council
- American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
- American Geological Institute
- American Geophysical Union
- American Petroleum Institute
- American Sportfishing Association
- AT&T Inc.
- Biotechnology Industry Association
- Boat Owners Association of the United States
- Chamber of Shipping of America
- Chevron Corporation
- ConocoPhillips
- Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.
- Exxon Mobil Corporation
- Financial Services Roundtable
- Independent Petroleum Association of America
- Institute for 21st Century Energy
- International Association of Drilling Contractors
- Kelly Energy Consultants
- Level 3 Communications
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Marathon Oil Corporation
- Maritime Law Association of the United States
- Marine Retailers Assocation of the Americas
- Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO
- National Association of Manufacturers
- National Fisheries Institute
- National Foreign Trade Council
- National Marine Manufacturers Association
- National Ocean Industries Association
- North American Submarine Cable Association
- Pacific Crossing Limited and PC Landing Corp.
- RARE: The Association for RARE Earth
- Rowan Companies, Inc.
- Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO
- Shell Oil Company
- TechAmerica
- Telecommunications Industry Association
- Tyco Telecommunications (US) Inc.
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- United States Oil and Gas Association
- Verizon Communications Inc.
Policymakers & Academics back to top
- John Baldacci, Former Governor, State of Maine
- Mark Begich, U.S. Senator from Alaska
- John Bryson, Former Secretary of Commerce
- Former President George H.W. Bush
- Former President George W. Bush
- Felix Camacho, Former Governor, Territory of Guam
- Donald Carcieri, Former Governor, State of Rhode Island
- Ben Cardin, U.S. Senator from Maryland
- Former President Jimmy Carter
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Chris Coons, U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Christine Gregoire, Governor, State of Washington
- Mike Hayden, Secretary, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Bob Herron, State Representative, State of Alaska
- Reggie Joule, State Representative, State of Alaska
- John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
- Tony Knowles, Former Governor, State of Alaska
- Ted Kulongoski, Former Governor, State of Oregon
- Carl Levin, U.S. Senator from Michigan
- Linda Lingle, Former Governor, State of Hawaii
- Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator from Indiana
- Ruth Ann Minner, Former Governor, State of Delaware
- Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senator from Alaska
- President Barack Obama
- Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska
- George E. Pataki, Former Governor, State of New York
- Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor, City of Charleston, SC
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor, State of California
- John Warner, Former U.S. Senator from Virginia
- Jim Webb, U.S. Senator from Virginia
- Craig Allen, Professor of Law, School of Law, University of Washington
- Anthony Clark Arend, Professor of Government and Foreign Service, Georgetown University
- Robert D. Ballard, Professor of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
- Betsy Baker, Associate Professor and Senior Fellow for Oceans and Energy, Vermont Law School
- Martin Belsky, Dean, School of Law, University of Akron and Former Assistant Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- David D. Caron, Co-Director, Law of the Sea Institute, Berkeley Law, University of California
- James M. Coleman, Boyd Professor, Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University
- Daniel W. Drezner, Professor of international politics, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
- Barry Hart Dubner, Professor, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, Barry University
- Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II (ret.), President, Monmouth University
- Dr. Tony Haymet, Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Kristen Juras, Associated Professor, University of Montana School of Law
- Dr. Charles Kennel, Director and Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Larry A. Mayer, Professor and Director, Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire
- Edward Miles, Senior Fellow, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington
- Frank E. Muller-Karger, Professor, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida
- John Norton Moore, Director, Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia School of Law
- Dennis W. Nixon, Professor of Marine Affairs and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Rhode Island
- Myron Nordquist, Associate Director and Editor, Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia
- John Noyes, Professor, California Western School of Law
- Bernard Oxman, Professor, School of Law, University of Miami
- Andrew A. Rosenberg, Professor, Institute for the Study of Earth, Ocean, and Space, University of New Hampshire
- Harry N. Scheiber, Co-Director, Law of the Sea Institute, Berkeley Law, University of California
- Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia School of Law
- National Governors Association
- Rule of Law Committee for the Oceans
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Non-Governmental Organizations & Other Experts back to top
- American Bar Association
- Better World Campaign
- Center for International Environmental Law
- Citizens for Global Solutions
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International
- International Seakeepers Society
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Joint Ocean Commission Initiative
- Marine Conservation Institute
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Nature Conservancy
- Ocean Conservancy
- Oceana
- Pew Charitable Trusts
- U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- Wilderness Conservation Society
- World Wildlife Fund US
(Endorsements on this page were contained in letters, commentary articles, Letters to the Editor and/or testimony.)