In fact, 2 weeks ago, the House of Representatives zeroed out in 

 the foreign assistance bill population control funds in effect by di- 

 verting to the Mexico City policy, which I think is a disaster for 

 this continent. And I think that we have to look at what is happen- 

 ing there. And the fact that when we talk about population control, 

 that we are not talking about abortion, but we are talking about 

 education and providing people with various means of contracep- 

 tion. 



Nigeria is sitting there with 100 million people in this country 

 today, who have no idea what population control is. Rwanda, I 

 think, had the highest population vis-a-vis per acre, and look at 

 what has happened there. 



So I would like Ambassador, if that is part of your testimony, to 

 allude to that, I would appreciate it. Thank you. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Ms. Hastings of Florida. 



Mr. Hastings. Madam Chairwoman, thank you for holding this 

 hearing. And I wish to extend my courtesies to the witnesses. 



I have a prepared statement, and I would like unanimous con- 

 sent to have it inserted into the record. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Without objection, we will insert it. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Hastings appears in the appen- 

 dix.] 



Mr. Hastings. Only one paragraph of it would I like to read. 

 Madam Chairlady, and it is that I believe that through a union of 

 technology, persistence, U.S. encouragement, as well as others in 

 the world, and well directed monetary support, that we can thwart 

 the rapid depletion of Africa's rich environmental resources. We 

 must end the threat to her biodiversity and protect the breath- 

 taking majesty of this continent. 



Thank you. Madam Chairman. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Well said. Thank you, Mr. Hastings. 



Our first panelist is Ambassador Robert Pringle, who will be dis- 

 cussing the social and political factors affecting the implementation 

 of African environmental programs, as well as U.S. policies and ini- 

 tiatives designed to address these issues. 



Ambassador Pringle is currently the Director of the Office of 

 Ecology and Terrestrial Conservation at the State Department's 

 Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 

 Affairs. 



In this capacity, he focuses on U.S. policy and negotiations re- 

 garding biodiversity, forests, endangered species, parks, and wet- 

 lands, among others. Previously, he has served as Director of the 

 Office of Central African Affairs, and as U.S. Ambassador to the 

 Republic of Malawi. 



Ambassador Pringle's career in the Foreign Service has included 

 overseas assignments in many countries, and a 5-year assignment 

 in the Economic Office of the State Department's Africa Bureau. 



We thank him for being here with us today, and sharing his 

 thoughts on such a pertinent issue. We will now proceed with Am- 

 bassador Pringle's brief testimony followed by a question and an- 

 swer period from our panelists. 



Mr. Ambassador. 



