In order to use important leverage in the fight against climate change, the riparian states of the Amazon region on Tuesday decided to cooperate more closely on environmental protection at a summit in Brazil and formed an alliance to limit deforestation. While Brazil’s head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the countries’ first meeting in 14 years, critics complained about the lack of binding goals.
“It has never been more urgent than now to resume and expand this collaboration. With this summit, a new Amazon dream is awakening for the region and for the world,” said President Lula on the sidelines of the conference in the northern Brazilian city of Belém. In addition to the host, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Bolivian President Luis Arce and Guyana Prime Minister Mark Phillips also came to the Amazon metropolis.
Squid “Traum vom Amazonas”
The aim of the Organization of Amazon Cooperation (OTCA) meeting is to reconcile environmental protection with sustainable economic development and job creation, said Lula, describing his dream of the Amazon: “An Amazon with greener cities, cleaner air, mercury-free rivers and healthy forests. An Amazon with food on the table, decent work and public services available to all. An Amazon with healthier children, welcome migrants, respected indigenous peoples and more hopeful youth.”
Belém OTCA’s final statement agreed, among other things, to create an Amazon Alliance to fight deforestation, a joint air traffic control system against organized crime and better cooperation in science, finance and human rights. However, critics complained about the lack of binding targets. “The summit raised the right issues, but failed to deliver what society, the private sector and academia expect: a set of concrete short- and medium-term actions that could change course,” said Marcelo Furtado of the Coalition for Climate, Forests and Agriculture. the news portal G1.
Indigenous peoples demand more control
Indigenous representatives of the Amazon are also demanding more control over protective measures, but also over oil production in the Amazon region and at the mouth of the Amazon. This raw material is especially important for Brazil. In the debate about this, the differences between Brazil and Colombia came to the fore. Colombian President Petro has therefore also criticized the Brazilian government, which, according to him, postpones decisions in order not to jeopardize financing projects.
Source: Krone
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