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Five international treaties stand poised, ready for ratification by the new nearly filibuster-proof Senate, pushed by the new, nearly-giddy administration. Each of these treaties surrenders a little more of our national sovereignty to an international body governed by a majority of nations that despise the United States.

Treaties are voluntary agreements among nations to prohibit certain actions, or to accomplish certain objectives. They are typically not enforceable -- at this time - except through economic sanctions or nasty tirades at the United Nations or through the international media. Since 1998, however, a new dimension has entered the world -- the International Criminal Court. The ICC has not been ratified by the United States, but clearly could be added to the list of treaties that are ready for ratification.

The ICC was created to prosecute genocide, war crimes, aggression, and -- crimes against humanity. Who decides when a national activity falls within the jurisdiction of the ICC? The ICC, of course. So far, the ICC doesn't have the clout to exercise the authority it has on paper, but the mechanism is there. All it needs is the cooperation and funding of the United States and it will begin to spread its wings.

It is worth noting that at nearly every U.N. Climate Change Meeting, a delegate from one or more nations will take the podium to bad-mouth the United States for its refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and label the refusal as a "crime against humanity." The course this administration is charting will empower the ICC to prosecute individuals and companies within sovereign nations for treaty violations that they label "crimes against humanity."

The Convention on Biological Diversity

This treaty provides for government control of virtually all land use. The 16-page treaty is accompanied by an 1140-page instruction book called the Global Biodiversity Assessment, which, on page 993, identifies the Wildlands Project as the "central theme" of the treaty's land use management scheme.

The Convention on the Law of the Sea

Three times, this treaty has been presented to the Senate for ratification, and three times, it did not garner enough support to warrant a vote. This Senate is different; it can, and likely will ratify this thrice-rejected abomination. The Convention on the law of the Sea explicitly says that the exercise on national sovereignty within our territorial seas must conform to the terms of this treaty and other international law. Ratification of this treaty is absolutely the surrender of national sovereignty. It also designates the global commons to be the "heritage of all mankind" under the jurisdiction of the United Nations. And it creates an International Seabed Authority with the power to levy taxes in the form of permit fees and royalties.

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