The “VI Meeting of Forest Authorities of ACTO Member Countries” was held within the framework of the 27th Session of the Forestry Commission (COFO 27) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in a hybrid format, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
The important event was attended in person and virtually by the eight ACTO Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The FAO Director of Forestry, Mr. Zhimin Wu, and Mr. Pietro Graziani of the EU-funded Amazonia+ Programme also participated.
The ACTO Permanent Secretariat inaugurated the event, with the remote participation of the Executive Director, Vanessa Grazziotin, and the presence of the Ambassador of Ecuador in
Rome, Esteban Moscoso.
The meeting was convened by Ecuador, in its capacity as current chair of the Forest Authorities of the ACTO Member Countries, a position assumed for the V Meeting held in Quito, Ecuador, in June 2023. As President, Ecuador presented significant progress within the framework of the ACTO Forest Program and reinforced the importance of establishing the ACTO Amazon Network of Forest Authorities (RAFO) to continue the articulated work in promoting sustainable development in the Amazon region.
The ACTO Environment Coordination presented the Secretariat's new mandates after the Amazon Summit, highlighting the importance of coordinating joint actions for the management and conservation of Amazonian forests, addressing problems such as deforestation, ecosystem restoration and the management of socio-environmental conflicts, prioritized in Resolution MRE-ACTO-18.
During the event, the Amazon Network of Forest Authorities was formally established, which includes the eight ACTO member countries present both in person and virtually: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
The RAFO will seek to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experiences among member countries, promoting initiatives such as the development of value chains in the forest bioeconomy and the implementation of transnational deforestation control systems. Likewise, the use of technologies and innovations will be promoted through the Amazon Regional Observatory, a tool developed by ACTO to facilitate access to relevant information and promote technical cooperation.
With the establishment of the RAFO, ACTO member countries reaffirm their commitment to the protection and sustainable management of one of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. This joint effort represents a decisive step towards a more coordinated and effective management of Amazonian forest resources, ensuring their conservation for future generations.
