Title 19, Customs DutiesRelease 119-110

§3741 Sense of the Congress Regarding Efforts to Combat Desertification in Africa and Other Countries

Title 19 › CHAPTER 23 — EXTENSION OF CERTAIN TRADE BENEFITS TO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA › SUBCHAPTER III — ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATED ISSUES › § 3741

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress wants the United States to quickly work with other countries, especially in Africa, to fight desertification. It finds that desertification affects about one-sixth of the world’s people and one-quarter of the land, that over 1,000,000 hectares in Africa are affected, that dryland damage helps cause repeated famines there, and that the United Nations Environment Programme estimates it costs $42,000,000,000 a year. Congress says the U.S. should strengthen international cooperation; promote national and regional plans and public awareness; create and carry out national action programs to find causes and fixes; and make sure local governments and nongovernmental organizations play a central role.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §3741

Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1)desertification affects approximately one-sixth of the world’s population and one-quarter of the total land area;

(2)over 1,000,000 hectares of Africa are affected by desertification;

(3)dryland degradation is an underlying cause of recurrent famine in Africa;

(4)the United Nations Environment Programme estimates that desertification costs the world $42,000,000,000 a year, not including incalculable costs in human suffering; and

(5)the United States can strengthen its partnerships throughout Africa and other countries affected by desertification, help alleviate social and economic crises caused by misuse of natural resources, and reduce dependence on foreign aid, by taking a leading role to combat desertification.

(b)Sense of the Congress

It is the sense of the Congress that the United States should expeditiously work with the international community, particularly Africa and other countries affected by desertification, to—

(1)strengthen international cooperation to combat desertification;

(2)promote the development of national and regional strategies to address desertification and increase public awareness of this serious problem and its effects;

(3)develop and implement national action programs that identify the causes of desertification and measures to address it; and

(4)recognize the essential role of local governments and nongovernmental organizations in developing and implementing measures to address desertification.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 3741

Title 19, Customs Duties

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110