The Brazilian government highlighted on Tuesday (1), during a meeting with the local press, the important role of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) during the “Amazon Summit”, on 8 and 9 August, in Belém (PA).
During the meeting with the Brazilian press, representatives of Itamaraty highlighted the role of the Organization as one of the main institutions responsible for presenting solutions to develop social, environmental, economic and technological initiatives for the region.
According to the Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gisela Padovan, the Brazilian government recognises that ACTO is the only international body, and that it is based in Brasilia, that carries out various types of monitoring on the Amazon region, many of them in real time. Unlike other agreements between the nations involved, its main objective is to expand knowledge about the continent’s largest biome.
“[ACTO’s mission] has nothing to do with commercial or export treaties, it is a treaty focused on knowledge production. It has projects on water resources, aquifers, biodiversity, indigenous health and isolated communities, commercial navigation, firefighting, fighting organised crime, studies on water quality, inequalities”, listed Gisela Padovan.
Belem Declaration
During the Summit, a draft proposal for a joint declaration will be prepared with the other countries, especially those involved in Amazonian issues, which will define the regional agenda in favour of the sustainable development of the Amazon biome. This document, to be known as the Belem Declaration, is being analysed by the other ACTO participants and should be presented at the end of the meeting.
Amazon dialogues
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is participating in the “Amazon Dialogues” from 4 to 6 August. The event precedes the Amazon Summit, scheduled for 8 and 9 August, and is attended by the eight heads of state of the ACTO member countries.
ACTO will contribute with plenary sessions on various topics during the three-day event. Among them are discussions on indigenous peoples, socio-economics, fire management, water resources, biodiversity assessment, cooperation and institutional partnerships.
