THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                             (Jaipur India)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     March 23, 2000

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to acceptance, I transmit herewith the revised International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), adopted at the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations at Rome on November 17, 1997. In accordance with Article XIII of the existing IPPC, the revised text will enter into force for all contracting parties 30 days after acceptance by two-thirds of the contracting parties.

The revisions are designed to bring the IPPC into line with modern practices and concepts, and to establish new mechanisms to promote the development and adoption of international phytosanitary standards.

It is my hope that the Senate will give prompt and favorable consideration to this Convention, and give its advice and consent to acceptance by the United States, subject to the two proposed understandings set forth in the accompanying report, at the earliest possible date.

                                   WILLIAM J. CLINTON
                                   THE WHITE HOUSE,
                                   March 23, 2000.

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