THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

                     STATEMENT OF VICE PRESIDENT GORE
                        ON THE U.N.'S WORLD DAY TO 
                    COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT

On the occasion of the U.N.'s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, I join other leaders in underscoring the profound importance of conserving healthy soil and clean water, and I renew our call for Senate approval of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

The relentless march of deserts into the Earth's arable lands is a cause for grave concern. In the United States, though much work remains, we have made tremendous strides to control soil erosion since the desperate days of the Dust Bowl. Elsewhere around the world, the steady loss of arable land contributes to hunger and instability and creates untold numbers of environmental refugees.

The Convention to Combat Desertification provides a framework for international cooperation to stem the loss of one of our most precious natural resources -- the fertile soil that sustains us all. I applaud Senators Jeffords and Feingold for their leadership on this issue, and I pledge our continuing support for the bipartisan effort to ratify this agreement.

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