The member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) - Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname - will work together on conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest.
On May 6 and 7, representatives from these countries met in Lima (Peru) to negotiate a Biodiversity Action Plan. The initiative encourages the exchange of experiences. One of the most debated topics was the management of protected areas.
The proposal of an action plan to be implemented in the region contributes to the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP-10), which happens at the end of the year in Nagoya, Japan.
"The countries will arrive in Nagoya with a plan specifically directed to the Amazon, responding to the desires of the members of ACTO and strengthening the regional vision, with a focus on the sovereignty of each nation", explains the director of the Department of Coordination of Policies for the Amazon at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Mauro Pires.
According to Júlio Baena, from the Office for International Affairs of the MMA, the plan will include: research, technology and innovation in biodiversity; protected areas management; and monitoring and control of endangered species of wild fauna and flora.
For Giovanna Palazzi, from the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the action plan will strengthen national systems of protected areas. The plan will also encourage collaborative management, particularly in frontier areas. "Biodiversity knows no political boundaries", stated Palazzi.
Redes Sociais