24 



Multilateral Commitments 



The United States participates in a number of international 

 environmental treaties which at first glance seem far removed 

 from the reality of African villages or game parks. In fact 

 these treaties play a vital role in mobilizing international 

 awareness and committing governments to cooperate in solving 

 problems, such as global climate change, which affect all 

 mankind. A few significant examples: 



— The Convention on Global climate change mandates 

 world-wide cooperation to analyze the threat of global 

 warming and devise preventive action. We are supporting 

 climate change studies in half a dozen African countries 

 (including Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe) to 

 help them inventory their greenhouse gas emissions, to 

 evaluate their vulnerability to climate change, and to 

 begin considering remedial measures. 



-- By signing the Convention on Biodiversity, we signalled 

 our support for sustainable use of the biosphere and the 

 equitable sharing of benefits from technological advances 

 based on biological resources. When this Convention is 

 implemented, countries in Africa and around the world will 

 have new incentives and resources for the conservation of 

 their unique biological heritage. 



-- The Desertification Convention, which the United States 

 has signed, supports the sustainable management of dry 

 lands and gives priority to Africa. It will stimulate 

 international cooperation in the diffusion of new 

 technologies, such as climate early warning systems, so 

 they can be of direct benefit to farmers. It will also 

 encourage aid donors and local governments to use 

 anti-desertification aid more effectively -- by, for 

 example, promoting better planning, community 

 participation, and regional cooperation. 



— The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) , recently 

 established to support the Biodiversity and Climate Change 

 Conventions, will be of great relevance to Africa. Already 

 27 GEF-supported projects are being planned or implemented 

 in Africa. 



— CITES (The Convention on International Trade in 

 Endangered Species) is the primary vehicle for mobilizing 

 international support for the regulation of threatened 

 species everywhere, including those that comprise Africa's 

 unparallelled wildlife heritage. 



One aspect of the Climate Change Convention is of 

 particular relevance to Africa. The Convention requires all 



