The Clinton government is impatient as the Senate continues blocking the ratification of the Biodiversity Treaty. The treaty, a product of the 1992 Earth Summit, aims at protecting all plant and animal species. President Clinton agreed to sign it after drawing up, in subjective, interpretive language, the that the administration will first protect us patents and then everything else. The Republicans, including minority leader Bob Dole, are blocking the ratification, backed by the Cattlemen's Association, a trade group representing us ranchers, who are convinced that the treaty will scale back the Endangered Species Act in the us. The US officials will hopefully appear at a crucial meeting of the signatories due in November. The Americans fear that the Treaty as it stands will encourage the developing nations to advocate "very protectionist protocols".
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