Bogotá, August 22, 2025 (@OCTAnews) – Aware of the importance—and urgency—of protecting the vast Amazon Basin, the presidents of the States Party to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACTO) met this Friday with representatives of Indigenous peoples and civil society to join efforts as a region and promote sustainable, integrated, and inclusive development of the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
The meeting, led by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was attended by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil; Luis Arce, President of Bolivia; María José Pinto, Vice President of Ecuador; and state representatives from Venezuela, Peru, Suriname, and Guyana—nations that make up the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).
“The main enemy of the Amazon global warming, is drug trafficking. We must unite to fight it because we are getting closer to the end. And by the end, I mean the point of tipp8ng point. As a region, we must work to avoid crossing that threshold. As I have always said: the security of the forest is the security of humanity,” said President Gustavo Petro.
President Lula stated that this meeting proves the Amazon has returned to the center of public policy priorities. “IThe Amazonian people deserve our commitment, and that is why what is being approved today in Bogotá is so vital: the creation of the Amazon Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (MAPI) and ACTO Social—two key frameworks to advance in protecting our forest.”
He added, “Wealthy countries have accused us of not caring for the forest, but the truth is the opposite: they are the ones who have generated the climate change that brought us to this critical point. The future of the Amazon depends on the rest of the world and how they move forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Yes, we bear a great responsibility, but so does the rest of the planet.”
Bolivian President Luis Alberto Arce reiterated the need to leave bureaucracy behind — delays that slow down processes — and to consider Indigenous peoples when addressing strategic challenges facing the Amazon. “From Bolivia, we will support the financial mechanism for fairer investments and the Amazon Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (MAPI), frameworks that will help us save our Mother Earth, our green heart.”
The three leaders agreed on the importance of stronger climate governance, respecting the ancestral knowledge of the communities living in the world’s largest tropical forest. They also called for COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil, next November, to become an effective summit with concrete commitments and a clear demonstration of the global actions to protect the planet.
Finally, Ecuadorian Vice President María José Pinto stressed that this meeting cannot remain just statements and aspirations; States must demonstrate a clear and deep commitment to the Amazon. “We must work together — academia, governments, Indigenous peoples, civil society, and private companies. We cannot postpone this fight. The Amazon can and must be the heart of global innovation.”
The Bogotá Declaration: A Short-Term Commitment
Following the meeting with civil society representatives, the presidents of ACTO member States will adopt the Bogotá Declaration, a jointly drafted document that consolidates regional commitments to the Amazon’s environmental, cultural, social, economic, and political challenges. These commitments were shaped by Indigenous leaders, civil society, and the eight ACTO countries in preparation for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, this November.
The Declaration emphasizes the importance of coordinating collective responses based on a shared vision for the Amazon and for protecting its peoples. Finally, leaders called on the world for concrete global action to help mitigate climate change — the primary driver of biodiversity loss in the Amazon.
Ecuador will host the 6th Meeting of Presidents of the ACT member States in 2027.
Access Bogota Declaration: https://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa/Paginas/Declaracion-de-Bogota-al-termino-del-V-Encuentro-de-presidentes-de-la-Organizacion-del-Tratado-de-Cooperacion-250822.aspx
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