At the close of the first day of the Amazon Summit, the leaders of the eight countries that host the Amazon region signed the Declaration of Belém, the definitive text that embodies the commitments agreed at the meeting. A document made up of 113 points that conglomerates new forms of regional cooperation and that outlines an “ambitious” protection plan for the largest tropical forest on the planet. The text calls attention to higher-income countries to reinforce their commitment to climate action.
First modification: Last modification:
4 min
From Brazil, the host president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the summit stating that its outcome would represent a “before and after” in the history of the Amazon, hopeful, but also expectant given the urgency that the climate crisis represents for the call ‘Lung of the world’.
The diplomatic talks between the heads of state of Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Guyana and Brazil, as well as senior government representatives from Venezuela, Ecuador and Suriname, materialized in the Belém Declaration, named after the Brazilian city that hosted the summit.
A document based on a Brazilian proposal and influenced by contributions from civil society in which, among its hundred points, highlights the requirement that developed countries comply with their climate financing commitments “taking into account the needs and priorities of the developing countries”.
“Urge developed countries to meet their commitments to provide and mobilize resources, including the goal of mobilizing 100,000 million dollars a year in climate financing,” as stipulated in point 35 of the Declaration of Belém, which also sets a deadline for its fulfillment in 2024.
In addition, the text signed at the close of the first day of the Amazon Summit establishes an agenda for combat deforestation and crime within the junglein addition to announcingThe creation of the Center for International Police Cooperation in the Amazon which will have the responsibility of coordinating the logistic cooperation of the signatory States to help their local authorities to protect the amazon biomealthough it leaves governments free to define their own methods of protection.
Disagreements over fossil fuels
Despite the consensus on issues such as the inclusion of indigenous peoples in campaigns for environmental protection in the Amazon, within the eight members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) there was an issue that caused division: the use of fuels. fossils
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, criticized the “denialist” position of some progressive governments, pointing out the impossibility of sustaining a speech favorable to the protection of the environment while continuing to seek economic growth with the indiscriminate use of gas, oil and coal.
“Is it possible to maintain a political line of that level? Bet on death and destroy life? Or should we propose something different, which is what I call a decarbonized society?” questioned the Colombian president, who did not allude to any specific country, but affirmed that the use of hydrocarbons was a matter of “dissent” among those attending the summit.
In a possible indirect response, the host Foreign Minister, Mauro Viera, stressed that among the ACTO countries there are no “divergent positions” in relation to the use of fossil fuels, although when questioned about the project promoted by the Brazilian government Regarding the search for fuel reserves in the Amazon, the foreign minister ruled that his country will be ready for decarbonization “when necessary.”
The issue of the use of non-renewable fuels is only reflected once in the Declaration of Belém, specifically in point 79 that exposes the commitment of the signatories to “initiate a dialogue on the sustainability of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbons in the Amazon region “.
Environmentalists lament “lack of concrete actions”
Despite the fact that the summit was described by Lula da Silva as “historic” and a great advance in the fight against the climate crisis, non-governmental organizations such as the Observatório do Clima – a conglomerate of more than 70 Brazilian environmental groups – are not convinced of the commitment shown by the political leaders of the Amazon region.
Marcio Astrini, director of the Brazilian body, described the final text of the summit as “a list of promises”, and although he acknowledged that what was seen in Belém is “a first step”, he lamented the lack of “concrete decisions” on issues like deforestation in the jungle.
“The planet is melting, temperature records are being broken every day, and there’s no way eight Amazon leaders can’t manage to put in a statement in bold letters that deforestation needs to be (brought to) zero,” Astrini said.
The Amazon Summit will continue with its second and last day on August 9, where civil society and the environmental movement will be awaiting possible announcements and commitments that the representatives of the region may reach.
With EFE and local media
#Amazon #countries #sign #Declaration #Belém #urge #powers #fulfill #commitments