The strengthening of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and the common positioning of the eight South American countries occupied by the Amazon biome are the central objectives of the Amazon Summit, which will be held on August 8 and 9, at the Hangar Convention Center in Belém (PA). At the end of the meeting, the Belém Declaration will be presented – a document that will contain the commitments that countries will have in favor of the region.
The Secretary General of ACTO, Alexandra Moreira, says that the organization is one of the creators of the meeting in Brazil. “The Summit will be important to strengthen cooperation between Amazonian countries. It is necessary to have not only an environmental look, but also a social and economic one, since 50 million people live in the region who need basic services such as health care. More than 420 indigenous peoples of South America live in the Amazon. We have to show the world that the Amazon encompasses a good part of other countries. The Amazon is known internationally as if it were only in Brazil, but it occupies most of the countries like Bolivia and Peru as well “.
The Executive Director and Ambassador of ACTO, Carlos Lazary, points out that the Organization has a fundamental role in the preservation of the environment and sustainable development in the Amazon. “Participation in the Dialogues and the Summit should contribute to the strengthening of ACTO and at the same time seek to guarantee the autonomy of each member country. The Amazon basin must be dealt with from the point of view of the region it covers. The national policies of each country have to keep reference to the regional Amazon basin. It will also be an opportunity to discuss the updating of the regional strategic agenda”, he explains.
For more than a week, representatives and authorities from the Amazon countries will reflect and make commitments to strengthen the region occupied by the largest river basin in the world. In addition to hosting the Summit, Brazil will hold the “Amazon Dialogues”, between August 4 and 6, at the same location. On the 7th, there will be a meeting between the foreign and environment ministers of the eight Amazonian countries. On the 10th there will be a meeting organized by IBGE with the various funding entities that will be present at the summit.
ABOUT ACTO
The ACTO is an intergovernmental organization composed of eight Amazonian countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, which signed the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ATT) on July 3, 1978. The document aims to promote the harmonious development of the Amazon territories, so that joint actions generate equitable and mutually beneficial results to achieve the sustainable development of the Amazon Region.
