ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the broad implications of the emerging ocean order for both national and international zone issues within which Brazilian ocean policy must operate. It traces the evolution of Brazilian policy at Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) during the period of preparations for the conference, as well as during the conference itself. Brazil's participation at UNCLOS III offers a particularly good vantage point from which to analyze its more prominent international role as an emerging major power, its related growth as a maritime power, and its significant contribution to international organization. The chapter deals with the evolution of the influential Brazilian role during each of the main periods of conference-related activities. Many Latin American diplomats, like US critics, have erroneously interpreted Brazil's 200-mile territorial sea claim as a shrewd technique for establishing a strong bargaining position at UNCLOS III.
