Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization implements the Amazon Cooperation Treaty, signed by eight Amazon countries
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is in a new home. The inauguration of its new headquarters in Brasília, held on Thursday, October 21, 2021, was attended by ACTO General Secretary, Alexandra Moreira; the Vice President of Brazil and President of the National Council for the Legal Amazon (CNAL), Hamilton Mourão, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Carlos França, as well as authorities from the diplomatic body based in Brasília.
ACTO is an intergovernmental organization made up of eight Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. As an intergovernmental organization, ACTO implements the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), signed by the eight Amazon countries, and streamlines the execution of its decisions. The various dimensions of ACTO action – diplomatic, strategic and technical policy – correspond to the different instances of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty and encourage sustainable development and social inclusion in the Amazon Region.
The event was opened by the Secretary General of ACTO, Alexandra Moreira. She noted that ACTO’s new facilities are a space for strengthening partnerships in favor of the Amazon. “Today another historic milestone is materialized, with the inauguration of ACTO’s first definitive headquarters. We thank Brazil for providing this space and extend our greetings to the eight ACTO Member Countries. Working for Amazon is complex, difficult and time-consuming and you have to be creative and innovative. We are dealing with a complex system with more than 48 million inhabitants, including indigenous peoples”, he emphasized.
Among ACTO’s responsibilities is to promote cooperation in scientific research and the exchange of information about the Amazon at a regional level, in order to increase knowledge about the flora and fauna resources of the Amazon territories. “This new environment will allow us to do this work better and to further strengthen relations with the authorities of the Amazon countries based in Brasília,” stated Alexandra Moreira.
The vice president of the Republic of Brazil and president of the National Council for the Legal Amazon, General Hamilton Mourão, highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between countries that share the Amazon Region.
“It is with great satisfaction that I participate in the inauguration of this headquarters, as Brazil is strengthening its dialogue and cooperation with the Member Countries. Our countries share among themselves the challenges of preserving one of the richest biomes on the planet and promoting the well-being and dignity of the region’s inhabitants,” said Mourão.
He stated that ACTO has the political support and technical capacity to coordinate the different national agendas in favor of the biome and that the “Amazon brand” will grow, as it is associated with inclusive and sustainable activities.
In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Carlos França, reinforced that ACTO is a central actor in the governance of the preservation of the Amazon and that the new headquarters is a showcase for the organization. “This space will reinforce the organization’s positive image with partners and external interlocutors. ACTO removed from the paper discussions initiated in the countries of the region and has stimulated scientific research and the exchange of information. The Amazon Regional Observatory is a relevant advance in this direction”, quoted.
França highlighted the work carried out by General Hamilton Mourão, in the Legal Amazon Council, and the reduction of deforestation in Brazil, according to INPE data. “Deforestation between August 2020 and July 2021 reduced 5%. If we consider only the month of August, the reduction is more significant at 32%, compared to August 2020”.
The ceremony included the presentation of recorded messages from ACTO’s first general secretary, Rosalia Arteaga from the vice president and chancellor of Colombia, and the foreign ministers of Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.
ACTO installations were carried out with the support of German international cooperation, with resources from the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW).
