The two actions expected to be taken by consensus are adoption of the Earth Charter, a document whose text has evolved through several drafts since the Earth Summit in 1992, and adoption of a declaration authorizing a new UN commission to implement the various recommendations necessary to bring about global governance.

The Earth Charter's advocates speak of it as though it were the "Magna Carta" of a new regime, but it's not a regime of freedom from arbitrary kings like King John at Runnymede in 1215. It's a charter for submission to global dictators possessing unprecedented powers.

Al Gore has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Earth Charter during its years of development. The UN Millennium meetings could draw more media than the presidential debates, and Republicans should make Gore state whether he is for or against these radical UN goals.

A portion of the Millennium Assembly is designated as the Millennium Summit, which President Clinton and 160 heads of state are expected to attend, the largest gathering of heads of state in history. Also meeting at the same time at the New York Hilton will be Mikhail Gorbachev and his State of the World Forum, hoping to help induce heads of state to concur in the Millennium Assembly's historic actions.

The Earth Charter demands that we adopt "sustainable development plans and regulations" (i.e., to subordinate human needs to global fads enforced by environment dictators), and that the UN "manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products, and marine life . . . [to] protect the health of ecosystems" (i.e., not the health of mere humans).

The Charter affirms that "all beings are interdependent" (i.e., personal freedom is irrelevant) and "every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings" (i.e., animals, plants and insects, but not unborn babies). The Charter demands that we "ensure universal [i.e., global] access to health care that fosters reproductive health [i.e., abortion and contraception] and responsible reproduction [i.e., UN-dictated population control]."

The Charter demands that we "act with restraint and efficiency when using energy" (i.e., lower U.S. energy use and standard of living). The Charter requires that we "eradicate poverty," "promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations," and "relieve them of onerous international debt" (i.e., redistribute U.S. wealth around the world).

The Charter exhorts us to affirm "gender equality" and "eliminate discrimination in ... sexual orientation" (i.e., adopt the feminist and gay agendas). The Charter demands that we "integrate into formal education [i.e., assign a UN nanny to monitor our schools] ... skills needed for a sustainable way of life [i.e., indoctrination in how we must subordinate sovereignty to the UN dogma of sustainability]."

The Charter demands that we "demilitarize national security systems" (i.e., eliminate our armed services and their weapons). The Charter concludes by proclaiming that the "Way Forward" requires "a change of mind and heart" as we move toward "global interdependence and universal responsibility."

Also to be considered by the Millennium Assembly and Summit is a lengthy Declaration, developed by 1,000 UN-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs), called "Strengthening the United Nations for the 21st Century."

This Declaration calls for "a fair distribution of the earth's resources" (from the United States to the rest of the world, of course), and for the "eradication of poverty" by "redistribution [of] wealth and land." It demands that we "cancel the debts of developing countries."

The Declaration demands the disarmament of all conventional and nuclear weapons, the prohibition of "unilateral deployment of nationwide missile defense by any country," and a "standing Peace Force" (i.e., a UN standing army). It calls for a "UN Arms register" of all small arms and light weapons, and "peace education" covering "all levels from pre-school through university."

The Declaration demands UN "political control of the global economy so that it may serve our vision," and that we "integrate" the World Trade Organization under UN control. It calls for "eliminating" the veto and permanent membership in the Security Council.

The Declaration calls for implementing UN treaties that the United States has never ratified, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (which denies the right to private property). The Declaration calls for the unratified International Criminal Court to exercise "compulsory jurisdiction" over all states, enforced by the UN Security Council.

This Declaration calls for the UN to impose direct taxes such as "fees on foreign exchange transactions (i.e. the Tobin Tax)." It requires "gender-based methodologies" as outlined at the UN Conference in Beijing.

All this and more of the same could be our future under an Al Gore presidency.