Brasília — The Technical Working Group of the Amazon Network for Integrated Fire Management (RAMIF), composed of authorities specialized in fire management from the Member Countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), approved an Operational Understanding on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance to strengthen joint preparedness and response to forest fires in the region.
The decision was adopted during the eleventh meeting to review the document, held at ACTO headquarters in Brasília, following a day of technical and diplomatic discussions among delegations from the Amazonian countries.
The instrument establishes a non-binding regional cooperation framework that will enable the coordination of mutual assistance actions among Amazonian countries when the magnitude of forest fires requires a joint response. The mechanism will facilitate the articulation of national capacities, the exchange of operational information, and technical support among countries during fire-related emergencies.
The negotiation process for the understanding began in December 2024 and is part of the efforts promoted within the Amazon Network for Integrated Fire Management (RAMIF) to strengthen regional cooperation in addressing forest fires affecting the Amazon biome.
During the meeting, delegations also agreed to establish the Forest Fire Response Committee (CRIF), a regional body that will bring together authorities and delegates from Member Countries to develop technical instruments, operational procedures, and coordination mechanisms aimed at improving preparedness, response, and humanitarian assistance in the event of such emergencies.
The approval of the instrument is particularly significant in light of the increasing frequency and intensity of forest fires in the Amazon, whose impacts affect ecosystems, biodiversity, and local populations.
The agreement was adopted during the negotiation segment of the RAMIF Operational Understanding, held within the framework of the Meeting on Interoperability, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance for Preparedness and Response to Forest Fires in Latin America and the Caribbean, held from 9 to 13 March at ACTO headquarters in Brasília.
With this advancement, Amazonian cooperation seeks to strengthen regional coordination mechanisms and improve joint response capacity to forest fires, one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world’s largest tropical forest.
The process was supported by the Environment Coordination of the ACTO Permanent Secretariat.
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