Get to know the Belém Declaration
Leaders from State Parties involved in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) convened in the Brazilian city of Belém for a two-day conference. The primary objective was to forge an agreement aimed at tackling the challenges posed to the Amazon rainforest and underscore its pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis.
Initiated by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Amazon Summit united the heads of state from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The focal points of discussion encompassed crucial matters such as deforestation, illicit mining, organized crime, collaborative regional efforts, and sustainable development ventures.
During the summit, the participating State Parties presented the Belém Declaration, articulating their joint commitments.
[photo by Kiyoshi]
Belém Declaration
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The Leaders of State Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), meeting in the city of Belém do Pará, on August 9, 2023,
Conscious of the urgency of the challenge of protecting the integrality of the Amazon region, fighting poverty and inequalities in the Amazon region, with the purpose of gathering efforts to promote sustainable development that is harmonious, integral, and inclusive in the region;
Considering the results of the internal consultations conducted by the State Parties at the governmental level and with the civil society of their respective countries, with a view to this Summit;
Convinced that cooperation, integrated vision and collective action are fundamental to address political, social, economic and environmental challenges in the Amazon region, in particular those related to climate crisis, biodiversity loss, water pollution, soil contamination, deforestation and wildland fires, and increasing inequality, poverty and hunger, aiming at stopping the Amazon region from reaching the point of no return;
Determined, thus, to promote once again and update a common cooperation agenda among our countries, which shall be adapted to the new regional and global contexts so as to guarantee the conservation, protection, ecological and sociocultural connectivity of the Amazon region, the sustainable development, and the well-being of its populations, with particular emphasis on Indigenous populations and local and traditional communities in situation of vulnerability;
Highlighting the human face of the Amazon region, the key role played by Indigenous populations and local and traditional communities in conserving the biodiversity and natural resources in the region, the need of ensuring the well-being of Amazon populations, and solidarity towards current and future generations;
Emphasizing the urgency of agreeing on common goals by 2030 to fight deforestation, halt the advance of illegal natural resources extraction activities, and promote the approaches to land-use planning and transition to sustainable models with the ideal of reaching zero deforestation in the Region;
Reaffirming the principles of respect for democracy, the dignity of peoples, the rule of law, human rights, including the right to development, the rights of Indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, social justice, self-determination of peoples and territorial sovereignty, within the framework of the commitment to sustainable development in the Amazon;
Reaffirming the principles of the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development, and the 1992 Declaration of Principles on Forests, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), its protocols and its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the document “The Future We Want”, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Sendai Framework for Risks and Disaster Reduction (2015-2030);
Taking note of the Guidelines for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in isolation and initial contact of the Amazon Region, Gran Chaco and Eastern Paraguay of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Report of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact in the Americas of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS, the “Principles and Guidelines for the Health Care of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact of ACTO”, and the “Strategic Framework for the Protection of Indigenous People in Isolation and Initial Contact of ACTO”;
Recalling the Declarations adopted in previous Meetings of Presidents of the State Parties of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty in 1989, 1992, and 2009;
Highlighting the importance of the Meeting of Presidents of the State Parties of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty as a political and strategic mechanism for decision-making and adoption of priorities within the Amazon cooperation context, as well as the convenience that such meeting happens in a more regular basis, with rotation among the State Parties;
Recognizing that effective solutions to problems in the Amazon Region may only be achieved through full and effective participation of its populations, both in urban and rural, subnational governments, of civil society emphasizing the indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, with special emphasis on all women, of the youth and of other different social actors, in accordance with national legislations and local specificities;
Recognizing that women and girls are disproportionally affected by adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and that their participation in decision-making is fundamental for sustainable development, for the promotion of peaceful, fair, and inclusive societies, and for the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions;
Recognizing the central role of natural riches and cultural diversity for developing medium- and long-term development strategies for the region, conscious of the importance of protecting such cultural, economic and environmental heritage, and noting that respect for the diversity and cultural identity of each community plays a fundamental role in building a sustainable and harmonious future for the Amazon region;
Recognizing the relevance of water as a source of life in the Amazon Region and the need to continue promoting its sustainable management, within the framework of national and regional efforts in the Amazon;
Recognizing the interrelations between the Amazon and other biomes and regions within the State Parties which are strictly related to it, and the need of preserving such interrelations to guarantee the integrality and balance of the Amazon region;
Taking note of the importance that the Andean-Amazonian countries assign to the water cycle and the rivers that originate in the Andean zone and that make up the Amazon basin;
Emphasizing that the eradication of hunger, poverty and violence against Amazon populations in all its forms and dimensions, within the scope of fulfilling the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, is an indispensable requirement for the development of the Amazon region and that the strengthening of multilateralism in the environmental, social and economic-commercial areas is an important tool for these purposes;
Condemning the proliferation of unilateral trade measures based on environmental requirements and norms, which constitute trade barriers and primarily affect smallholder farmers in developing countries, the pursuit of sustainable development, the promotion of Amazon products and the efforts to eradicate poverty and fight hunger, in addition to threatening the integrity of the international trade system;
Urging developed countries to meet their obligations to provide and mobilize predictable and adequate support to developing countries, including development financing, climate financing and biodiversity conservation, with necessary and commensurate scope, scale and speed, as well as access to technology and its markets, and capacity building and development, as fundamental measures of international cooperation, aiming at implementing national policies and programs for the sustainable development of the Amazon region;
Reiterating the promotion of and respect for the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations Charter, and for international law, which fosters the peaceful settlement of disputes and an international system based on respectful relationships of friendship and cooperation, free of threats, aggression and unilateral coercive measures that are opposed to the international law, within an environment of peace, stability and justice;
Reaffirming the principles of equality of States and respect for the sovereignty of countries over their territories, as well as the objective of strengthening regional cooperation, expressed in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty signed on July 3, 1978, and which motivated the creation of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO);
Considering that some countries recognize the rights of nature or Mother Earth in the context of promoting sustainable development, express the conviction that, in order to achieve a fair balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature for living well, and note the importance for some of the concept of “climate justice”, when adopting measures to address climate change;
Taking note of the understandings brokered by some Ministers of Finance, Treasury/Economy, and Planning of the Amazonian countries to accelerate joint efforts to increase funding, share knowledge and improve regional coordination for Sustainable Development in response to the priorities of the State Parties of the Amazon Region;
Recognizing the independence of the other public authorities existing in the State Parties, and inviting them to take appropriate action, within the framework of their mandates, for the effective implementation of the present declaration;
Recognizing that ACTO is the sole intergovernmental coordination body for the eight Amazon countries with regard to jointly implementing projects, and actions that produce equitable and beneficial results to Amazon countries, due to its institutionality, its extensive knowledge of the region, and the relevant experience of its Permanent Secretariat in coordinating dialogue and implementing development cooperation initiatives;
Also noting that, based on this coordination, the State Parties shall promote dialogue, exchange of experiences and cooperation with developing countries with significant areas of tropical forests in different regions of the world;
Recognizing the value of the pragmatic and operational orientation adopted by ACTO, which is evidenced in the expansion and implementation of projects and programs, and efforts to give visibility to the Amazon cooperation agenda in multilateral and regional debates on topics related to sustainable development;
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Crosscutting principles and objectives that underpin the implementation of the Declaration of Belém
1. Combine the efforts, to the highest level, of their Governments to advance in a new common agenda in the Amazon, to be implemented under the objective of sustainable development, conservation of forests, sustainable use of biodiversity, forests and water resources, urgent action to avoid the point of no return in the Amazon, the fight against deforestation and illicit activities in the region, economic development with social inclusion and generation of income and employment, based on mechanisms of social participation, particularly of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, and the strengthening of ACTO. To this end, the following principles will be observed:
a) Active participation, and respect for and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, with special emphasis on populations in situation of vulnerability;
b) Protection and promotion of human rights, including the equality of all people, without racial distinction or of any other kind, and fight against all forms of discrimination;
c) Gender equality, with active participation and promotion of the rights of all women for their empowerment;
d) An intercultural and intergenerational approach that promotes recognition, respect, identity, and cultural diversity in the Amazon region;
e) The sovereignty of the States, including the respect of national legislation of each country;
ACTO Institutional Strengthening
2. Provide firm support for the institutional strengthening of ACTO and expansion of its areas of cooperation and means for implementation as an instrument for sustainable, harmonious and inclusive development in the Amazon region, and improvement of the national capacities of State Parties through exchange of good practices, knowledge and public policies, South-South cooperation and mobilization of international cooperation resources;
3. Entrust to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs the negotiation of an Additional Protocol to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty that establishes the Meeting of Presidents of the State Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty as an instance for the decision-making and the adoption of political strategic priorities, in the framework of ACTO. Furthermore, also instruct that, as part of the preparatory process for the presidential meetings, meetings be held to bring together representatives of the Government, academia, society and indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, in order to identify possible recommendations to be considered by the Meeting of Presidents;
4. Reactivate the Special Commissions, at ministerial level when applicable, under ACTO, among which are the following: (i) Environment, (ii) Science and Technology, (iii) Health, (iv) Education, (v) Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, (vi) Transports, Infrastructure and Communications and (vii) Tourism, without prejudice to the establishment of new commissions on other thematic areas, such as public security;
5. Reactivate and strengthen the effective functioning of the Permanent National Commissions (CONAPERs), in each of the MCs, which are responsible for the application in their respective territories of the provisions of the ACT, as well as the execution of the decisions adopted by the meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Amazon Cooperation Council, without prejudice to other activities entrusted to them by each State;
6. Establish the Amazon Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples to strengthen and promote dialogue between governments and indigenous peoples in the Amazon region for management and coordination with regard to topics relating to indigenous peoples and that contribute to achieving ACTO’s objectives;
7. Establish a Working Group to evaluate a Financial Mechanism aimed at Amazon cooperation within the ACTO framework, so as to provide the means for raising and capitalizing on non-refundable financial resources from various sources, including voluntary contributions from State Parties, resources from international cooperation, development banks and other donors endorsed by the State Parties for the purpose of financing projects, programs, studies and other initiatives of national and regional scope, strengthening human and institutional capacities, as well as the permanent exchange of experiences between the Amazon countries;
8. Institutionalize the Amazon Regional Observatory (ARO) under the structure of ACTO, with the strengthening of its various modules on economic, social, environmental and cultural topics, as a permanent instrument for monitoring, and consolidating information, data, and scientific knowledge, formally endorsed by the State Parties, and to ask the different areas of their governments to collaborate with regular submission of data and information to be fed into the various ARO modules. ACTO will provide the State Parties and their institutions with real-time access to ARO and its various modules;
9. Establish a Working Group to prepare a proposal for the modernization and strengthening of ACTO’s Permanent Secretariat and a new Succession Process Regulation, based on previous work, so as strengthen the Organization’s institutionalization and governance in its various instances;
10. Resume negotiations on the update of the Amazonian Strategic Cooperation Agenda (ASCA);
11. Strengthen regional development cooperation by establishing a Working Group on South-South Cooperation within the framework of ACTO to better coordinate, join efforts and rationalize development cooperation and activities of State Parties’ cooperation agencies, in favor of the Amazon region, especially in its border areas;
14. Strengthen the channels for communication and exchange of experiences between scientific research and technological innovation programs and their related mechanisms within the ACTO framework with other similar international mechanisms;
15. Reaffirm the commitment with the implementation of project, programs, studies, negotiations and other ongoing initiatives, such as the Programs on Forests, on Biological Diversity and the Biomaz Project, of the Strategic Actions for Integrated Water Resources Management and the Amazon Basin Project, the Memorandum of Understanding on Integrated Fire Management, Project Amazonas, Amazon Aquifers, Bioamazon, Support to the Formulation and Implementation of ASCA, Contingency Plans for Health Protection of Highly Vulnerable Indigenous Peoples and in Initial Contact, Indigenous People Platform, Studies on Sociodemographic Inequalities and Gaps and Rapid Evaluation of Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Services, ARO and the Water Resources Situation Room, the Working Group for the Formulation of a Regulation on Commercial Navigation in Rivers in the Amazon Region, as well as the Strategic Plan on Cooperation in Health in the Amazon Region and the Regional Plan on Water, Sanitation and Solid Waste;
Amazonian cities
14. Establish the Forum of Amazon Cities, under the ACTO, to strengthen cooperation between local authorities in State Parties, particularly in cities in border areas, aiming at the implementation, at the local level, of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, thus strengthening leadership among all women, as well as leaderships of indigenous and local and traditional communities and promotion of interculturality, in which proposals for action can be identified to address main urban challenges in the Amazon region, such as the access of Amazon populations to public services and the development and implementation of public policies;
Amazonian Parliament
15. Establish an ACTO Working Group to advance the assessment of an institutional link between the Amazon Parliament (PARLAMAZ) and the Organization;
Science, education, and innovation: knowledge and entrepreneurship in the Amazon region
16. Determine the creation of the Intergovernmental Scientific Technical Panel for the Amazon, within the scope of the ACTO, which will annually convene representatives of the State Parties, including technicians, scientists and researchers specialized in the Amazon region, with the permanent participation of civil society organizations, indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, in order to promote the exchange of knowledge and in-depth debate on studies, methodologies, monitoring and alternatives to reduce deforestation, promote sustainable development and prevent the environmental imbalance in the Amazon region from approaching a point of no return; the panel will organize the systematization of information and the preparation of periodic reports on prioritized topics, in addition to analyzing the social and economic dynamics of the region, in order to facilitate the planning of preventive actions and identify bottlenecks and potentialities for scientific-technological production in the Amazon region, with recommendations for the governments of the State Parties, based on their priorities and needs;
17. Encourage the exchange on the design, updating and articulation of National Environmental Education Policies that guarantee the integration of the environmental dimension in the education curriculum for the formation of ethical and responsible citizens, with knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors regarding the sustainable management of the environment, prepared to make decisions with criteria on environmental management, respectful of themselves, others and their surroundings;
18. Foster contact networks that articulate research and teaching institutions in the Amazon Region, including indigenous universities, and those focused on professional and technological education, and create action programs for academic and student mobility in the Amazon, including internships and scholarships, in order to contribute to the reduction of inequalities, the prevention of socio-environmental imbalances, fostering scientific and technological development, creating professional development opportunities for the region’s youth, and strengthening and valuing sustainable production and consumption practices, with special attention to the promotion of interculturalism and the protection of the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities;
19. Foster and support programs for training and exchange of students and researchers in the Amazon region, at all levels of education, for recognition of significant teaching and scientific experiences aiming at sharpening the qualifications of educators and players in the academia in a contextualized manner;
20. To resume dialogue and cooperation between ACTO and the Association of Amazon Universities (UNAMAZ), a privileged space for the management of knowledge and scientific and technological information in the Amazon region;
21. Promote the development of strategies, programs and projects for the developing and strengthening of science, technology and innovation in the Amazon region in the scope of research and innovation policies geared towards the conservation and recognition of the intrinsic value of biodiversity; sustainable use of fauna and flora, and territory; to the promotion of the human right to food; energy transition; health sovereignty; and science for peace and development, among others;
22. Improve technical and technological capacities for planning, designing and developing, collecting, processing, validating, analyzing, disseminating and continuously improving information on the environment related to the sustainable management of water resources, so as to contribute to developing priority actions and strategies in the short-, medium- and long-term, with a view to achieving ACTO’s objectives related to monitoring and evaluating the environment and water resources in line with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, and other international instruments ratified and enforced by the State Parties;
23. Strengthen the national governance models for information management, fostering interaction and interconnection among actors for integration of information on the environment and sustainable management of water resources, bridging the gaps that have been identified in the access to information and public participation in decision-making related to environmental issues, and share lessons learned among the States Parties;
24. Establish the Innovation and Technological Dissemination Network of the Amazon Region, with the purpose of stimulating sustainable regional development, and sustainable technology-based entrepreneurship, and facilitate the creation of solutions aimed at addressing environmental, economic, and social challenges of the region. The Network will bring together actors from innovation ecosystems in the Amazon region, including indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, and promote business rounds between public agents, local companies and startups, in addition to facilitating the exchange of good practices between technology parks, universities, research institutions, incubators and accelerators, and commercial promotion agencies, respecting human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples. Additionally, it will facilitate the dissemination of the entrepreneurial spirit among young people in the region, through specialized courses, with a special focus on low-income families, recognizing the value of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, and will work in an integrated manner with the Amazonian Strategic Cooperation Agenda (ASCA) and a strategic agenda for the integrated development of production based on the sustainable use of biodiversity resources in Amazon countries;
25. Encourage the renovation, expansion and consolidation of scientific and technological research infrastructures in the Amazon region, as well as to stimulate graduate courses in topics related to the Amazon region and international cooperation programs for their integration and use by researchers from States Parties, in addition to the strengthening of actions meant to reduce socioeconomic, digital and technological inequalities, particularly in border areas;
26. Support the implementation of programs and initiatives of technical assistance and rural extension targeting family farmers, artisanal fishermen, regional traditional communities, focusing on sustainable food production and promotion of income generation through marketing spaces;
27. Foster the establishment of an Observatory of Rural Women for the Amazon Region in the framework of ACTO, with an interactive data platform and other tools to inform the development of strategies, projects, programs and public policies for women working in agricultural, forestry and aquaculture activities, and to support the organization of knowledge networks for women entrepreneurship;
28. Promote the establishment, in the framework of Amazon Indigenous People Mechanism, of a consultative forum of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities that contributes with their ancestral knowledge, data and cross-cultural technical and scientific information for the advancement of appropriate technologies to the preservation and sustainability of the Amazon Region within the scope of public policy management and formulation;
Monitoring and cooperation in water resources management
29. Stimulate coordinated actions to guarantee the human right to drinking water and sanitation, balance and harmony with ecosystems related to water, and its healthy balance with food and energy needs in the Amazon region;
30. Establish the Network of Water Authorities of ACTO States Parties for cooperation in the sustainable management of regional water resources, with the objective of establishing regional protocols for monitoring, cooperation and mutual support regarding the management of water resources in the Amazon among State Parties with a view to rehabilitation, conservation and protection of water sources and its basins, and approvable criteria and parameters for water quality; and supporting the implementation of regional projects and actions regarding surface and underground water resources, planning and cooperation for the sustainable management of transboundary water resources including the transboundary, progressive strengthening of technical, technological and institutional capacities, technology innovation and intercultural dialogue, in line with the national contexts, including political, social and cultural commitments of each country;
31. Strengthen cooperation and harmonization of monitoring and hydrometeorological warning systems of States Parties for an effective exchange of experience, information and knowledge, and improvement of monitoring capacities through strengthening of national monitoring networks; for generation of warnings of risks and threats to the environment and human health, disasters and extreme events of hydrometeorological nature to inform the populations in the Amazon Region; for environmental planning and preparation of protocols and actions to prevent, manage and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters; and to support water management as an instrument for preventing, adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change, fighting hunger, ensuring water quality and quantity in the Amazon basin, for current and future generations;
32. Stimulate the strengthening of actions for monitoring water quality for human consumption in the region, including joint technical-scientific studies and research, focusing on the exposure to mercury and other hazardous substance from mining activities/small-scale and large-scale mining, in particular those that affect indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, and to carry out prevention and remediation activities and to strengthen regional and international cooperation for the fight against illegal mining, illegal trade, and other related crimes;
Climate change
33. Welcome the Brazilian candidacy endorsed by Grulac for the holding of the COP-30 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Belém, in the Amazon, in 2025, expressing its commitment to join efforts for its full success, and stressing that the process from COP-28 to COP-30 will be critical for the very future of the global response to climate change;
34. Establish a dialogue among the State Parties on the adequate treatment that should be given to the Amazon region with regard to climate change, with a view to working to reach a consensus on common standpoints for Amazon countries about such topic in relation to declarations and other actions in the scope of international and multilateral funding institutions;
35. Urge developed countries to meet their commitments to provide and mobilize resources, including the target of mobilizing $100 billion per year in climate finance, to support the needs of developing countries and recognize the need to make substantial progress in the deliberations on the new collective quantified climate finance goal to be concluded by 2024 in view of the urgent need to scale up climate action, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries;
36. Advance innovative mechanisms for financing climate action, which could include debt-for-climate action swaps by developed countries;
37. Encourage coordination and exchange of experiences in the planning and implementation of public policies on climate change, as well as cooperation to channel funding flows towards the implementation of actions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Efforts will be put into incorporating sustainable employment and income opportunities into such public policies and actions, focusing on local populations, with special emphasis on low-income families, women, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and producers of family farms, as per the local contexts and in synergy with national plans and initiatives of Amazon countries;
38. Promote the implementation of climate change adaptation programs in States Parties boosting access to external non-reimbursable financing, with a view to mitigating vulnerabilities of indigenous peoples and traditional and local communities, according to national realities and plans;
39. Strengthen cooperation among scientific and academic institutions in States Parties to deepen the understanding of interrelations between climate change and forest ecosystems and peatlands in the Amazon region, with a view to providing inputs for decision-making regarding public policies on climate changes, with adaptation and resilience, recovery or re-establishment of native vegetation in deforested, degraded or altered areas, and forest conservation, with sustainable management and transition towards new ways of sustainable production and consumption, following national plans;
40. Systematize, exchange, and make available, in the context of climate action, technologies and strategies to consolidate and improve agroforestry systems and other agricultural practices linked to sustainable forest management, including family or peasant agriculture, based on national plans;
41. Strengthen the protagonist role and participation of all women, indigenous peoples and youth in decision-making forums and spaces, deepening and building proposals that make them actors in climate solutions, and create a forum for intersectional debate on gender, cultures, ethnicity and climate to participate in the debate on the construction and implementation of public adaptation and mitigation policies in the States Parties, in coordination with national plans;
42. Initiate dialogue on common perspectives in relation to the implementation of Art. 6.8 on approaches not based on the markets, including the possibility of establishing a Joint Amazon Mechanism of Mitigation and Adaptation for Integrated and Sustainable Forest Management, within the scope of Decision 16/CP.21 of the UNFCCC, through the submission of concrete actions by the countries, thus promoting the search for financial resources from cooperation focused on this purpose;
43. Strengthen the participation of an Amazon perspective in the Platform of Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in coordination with the Amazon Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples;
44. To guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities in line with the different regulatory frameworks of the States Parties and in particular through the application, monitoring and reporting of social and environmental safeguards and verification;
Protection of forests, Amazonian coastal areas, vulnerable ecosystems and biodiversity
45. Establish an Amazon Alliance to Fight Deforestation among States Parties to promote regional cooperation on fighting deforestation, with the purpose of stopping the Amazon region from reaching the point of no return, acknowledging and promoting the compliance of national goals, including the ones related to zero deforestation through elimination of illegal logging, by strengthening the implementation of forest legislation of the State Parties, sustainable forest management, integrated fire management for recovery of and increase in native vegetation stocks by means of financial and non-financial incentives; and other instruments for conservation and sustainable forest management, promotion of ecosystem connectivity, and exchange of technologies, experiences and information to facilitate prevention, monitoring and control actions, including promotion of regional programs to support forest control, capacity building for managers and park rangers stationed in protected areas, and the strengthening of Amazonian ecosystems in face of the impacts of climate change;
46. Ensure and enable, in accordance with multilaterally agreed upon commitments, that our terrestrial and inland water areas and marine and coastal areas, which are of particular importance for biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem functions/services, are effectively conserved and protected through conservation units, recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories;
47. Guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples, local and traditional communities, including the right to the territories and lands inhabited by such peoples, full and effective possession, considering the knowledge and practices of ancestral conservation, including through the processes of definition, delimitation or demarcation, and titling of their territories and lands, in line with the various national regulatory frameworks, as well as the development of indigenous territorial and environmental management policies, as an indispensable condition for the conservation of biodiversity;
48. Establish under ACTO the Amazon Network of Forest Authorities for strengthening the implementation of ACTO’s Forest Program and relevant actions under the Amazonian Strategic Cooperation Agenda, with the purpose of improving forest management and local capacities, exchanging technology breakthroughs, establishing sustainable development projects, and promoting access to funding for those projects, among others;
49. Promote under ACTO’s Forest Program the exchange of good practices on national regulatory frameworks on the environment regarding regulation of land use, so as to strengthen planning and land use mechanisms and promote acknowledgment for the lands and territories of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, including their efforts towards conservation;
50. Deepen cooperation in risk and disaster management, to address floods, severe droughts and wildland fires, with coordination in different areas of emergency response of national civil protection and humanitarian cooperation systems in accordance with the demands of the State where these phenomena may occur;
51. Develop a common strategy to prevent and mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in the Amazon Region, in conformity with the national legislations of the State Parties, recommending ACTO to explore the exchange of scientific information with international organizations such as the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS, in Spanish) and the International Committee for the El Nino Phenomenon (CIIFEN);
52. Deepen cooperation and joint actions within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance for Integrated Wildland Fire Management between the State Parties, to address wildfires, through the development of policies, instruments, technical actions, and the use of innovation and technology, aimed at prevention, fire management, the promotion of alternatives to the use of fire in rural areas, fire fighting and the strengthening of technical, scientific, institutional and community capacities;
53. Strengthen the mapping and monitoring of degraded, contaminated or altered areas and identify priority areas for the restoration and/or recovery of ecosystems, with emphasis on native vegetation, with the aim of promoting sustainable economic activities, fostering sustainable forest management, and contributing to the sustainability, productivity, and resilience of local productive systems;
54. Foster opportunities for sustainable employment and income generation for local populations in programs and projects, including those of multilateral funds agreed upon by the State Parties and international cooperation, aimed at the protection of forests, biodiversity, restoration, and recovery of degraded areas;
55. Join efforts to build a fund to finance programs for promoting integrated and sustainable management and adding value to forest products and biodiversity, and for socio-labor reconversion for social actors, peasants and farmers, for their participation in ecosystem conservation efforts, reducing deforestation and forest and soil degradation, as well as wildland fires and the loss of biodiversity, with the active participation of indigenous peoples and local communities;
56. Support the identification, recognition, maintenance and sustainability of conservation plans and management of agrobiodiversity zones and traditional agricultural systems in the Amazon, drawing on the experience of the International Program of Important Systems of World Agricultural Heritage (SIPAM), created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the State and/or cooperating partners that establish funds for the maintenance and sustainability of these systems;
57. Strengthen the conservation and sustainable management of inland water and marine and coastal ecosystems and their resources, considering their ecological functions, multiple uses and the ways of life of local and traditional communities, including through synergy between national and regional initiatives for the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystems of the Amazon Region, including the implementation of the Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Amazonian river dolphins, adopted by the members of the International Whaling Commission;
58. Promote participatory management and sustainability of artisanal fisheries, strengthening the coordination of community and collective planning measures, as well as those for monitoring fish stocks and fish quality, with special attention to contamination from economic activities and waste discharges, including illegal mining;
59. Foster actions for the conservation and management of endangered species in the Amazon region, promote their monitoring and encourage fundraising for these initiatives;
60. Establish a Working Group, in the framework of ACTO, aimed at integrating and harmonizing the National Access and Benefit Sharing Systems (ABS) of Amazon countries, related to the sustainable use of genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge in processes of research, development and innovation of commercially exploited products and processes, within the scope of the Convention of Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol and national legislations of the State Parties, as well as the dialogue and exchange of standpoints related to the agenda on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge (ABS) in different multilateral forums;
Police, judicial and intelligence cooperation in the fight against illicit activities, including environmental crimes
61. Strengthen and increase police and intelligence cooperation, aiming at the prevention, repression and investigation of illegal activities, including environmental crimes and violations of the rights of defenders of human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples and socio-environmental rights, affecting the Amazon region, through exchange of information, including intelligence and experiences, and the carrying out of coordinated criminal investigation and operations, as well as training of human resources, among other actions, always in accordance with the protection of biodiversity and the rights of indigenous peoples and of local and traditional communities, particularly with regard to applicable international agreements; and promote, under ACTO, discussions of technical nature among government representatives, with the objective of identifying priority areas for cooperation;
62. Emphasize, in addition, the need for effective cooperation by countries of destination to combat illegal trafficking of Amazonian species and products, including endemic species, native seeds and products derived from the illegal exploitation of minerals and related crimes, in accordance with the legislation of the countries of origin, so as to prevent the entry and discourage the demand for these products in consumer markets;
63. Develop regional and intersectoral cooperation: among actors in the administrative oversight of violations, investigation and prosecution of environmental and related crimes; including the exchange of information, strengthening of intelligence capabilities, development of guidelines for joint action, with a view to harmonizing legislation and developing comprehensive and common action protocols so as to prevent, investigate and prosecute crimes that result in deforestation and biodiversity loss in the Amazon and threaten the rights of present and future generations, indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities;
64. Work in an articulated manner in the implementation of actions for the eradication of the illicit exploitation of minerals and related crimes, including money laundering, especially in terms of exchange of information on the trade and smuggling of mercury and other heavy metals and the harmonization of public policies for their regulation and control;
65. Welcome the future establishment of the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, with headquarters in Manaus, to articulate with the competent authorities of each State Party, for the exchange of information, intelligence and the development of investigations, warnings and training activities so as to strengthen regional cooperation and contribute to the eradication of illicit activities, including environmental and related crimes;
66. Initiate a process of dialogue for the creation of an Integrated Air Traffic Control System among State Parties, which coordinates with the competent national authorities, with a view to collaborating in the surveillance of illicit air traffic and the fight against drug trafficking and other related crimes, deforestation and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Amazon Region;
67. Take note with satisfaction of the proposal to convene a Meeting of Ministers and authorities of the State Parties in the field of Public Security to be held in Colombia, in order to evaluate the current situation of criminal phenomena and transnational organized crime in the Amazon region and to promote the exchange of information and police and intelligence cooperation to combat illegal activities and environmental crimes affecting the Amazon region;
Sustainable Infrastructure
68. Strengthen public policies, cooperation and open dialogue on the incorporation of sustainability standards in territorial planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the Amazon, considering their direct and indirect environmental, social and economic impacts, in harmony with the conservation of ecosystems, landscapes, environmental functions and associated ecosystem services, in consultation and with due focus on human rights in relation to affected communities, including indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, from the planning phase, in accordance with the respective national legislations;
69. Deepen cooperation, with the aim of promoting technological inclusion, bridging digital gaps and the capacity building, sustainable development and support for environmental monitoring, including in regulatory matters related to the joint mapping of the infrastructure and demand for connectivity; the provision of new interconnection points; coordination on the use of frequency bands; and certification/approval of equipment used for public protection, disaster relief, security, remote sensing and satellite telecommunications;
70. Deepen existing initiatives to integrate and strengthen the electricity systems of the isolated localities of the State Parties, as well as to identify new electricity generation and interconnection projects and new clean energy models, in order to promote access to energy, energy security, sustainable development and integration of the region, with a view to the full utilization of the complementarities of the different resources of each country;
Economy for sustainable development
71. Promote the innovation of technologies for sustainability in the production chains of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, agroforestry, family farming and other prioritized areas, through the integrated management of standing forests and the sustainable use of natural resources, the generation of knowledge, the recovery of degraded areas, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, and agroecology, recognizing the knowledge and practices of traditional agricultural production, other innovative approaches, more sustainable aquaculture production systems, production and use of renewable energies, promotion of the circular economy, improvement of agri-food systems and food security of Amazonian populations, in accordance with the national legislations and existing monitoring mechanisms in the respective Amazonian territories;
72. Encourage and strengthen geochemical studies of the Amazon region soil and hydrographic resources in order to develop agroecological and climate risk zoning instruments to define areas suitable for productive activities and their scale, taking advantage of the need to reinforce sustainability in the Amazon and recover degraded areas, contain deforestation in sensitive areas and strengthen biodiversity conservation;
73. Create, within the scope of ACTO’s Strategic Agenda for Amazonian Cooperation, a strategic agenda for the integral development of production based on the sustainable use of biodiversity resources in the Amazon, promoting a fair and ethical economic development model for the generation of products, processes and services based on the sustainable use of biological resources, particularly biodiversity, and in knowledge of science, innovation, technology, ancestral and traditional knowledge, with social inclusion, especially of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, as well as policies for the promotion and consolidation of research, development, innovation and production chains based on the sustainable use of the biodiversity of the Amazonian countries and associated traditional knowledge;
74. Establish, within the scope of that agenda, a program of production chains for the sustainable use of biodiversity, of interest to indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities based, among others, on the objective of forest management and forest recovery, with a view to map these production chains, with the protection and recognition of the value of their practices and knowledge, with income generation and promotion of their quality of life and the environment, training and strengthening of the productive organizations of these peoples and communities, the development and sharing of technologies to provide greater added value, the promotion of fair trade strategies and recognition for environmental services/functions, and the exchange of good production practices in a complementary manner to the activities of ACTO’s Forestry and Biodiversity Programs;
75. Develop a program for the joint promotion of Amazonian products and services and products compatible with the sustainability of forests in the international market, to add value to products and promote initiatives to improve the quality of products and the qualification of producers from indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, collectors and community organizations, such as associations and cooperatives of family farmers and riparian communities, through trade promotion agencies and other agencies and public entities of the States Parties, with the support of international cooperation;
76. Act in coordination with international partners and organizations, in particular the World Customs Organization (WCO), with the objective of facilitating, when appropriate, the registration of Amazonian products in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS);
77. Establish a dialogue for the development of a regional cooperation framework in the areas of certification and valorization of Amazonian products and incentives for the recognition of environmental and ecosystem services/functions;
78. Foster joint investments in regional research and innovation activities and networks that allow for the development of innovative solutions and technologies, rescuing traditional knowledge and know-how, in order to expand the possibilities of wealth generation associated with sustainable use and forest conservation in the Amazonian territory;
79. Initiate a dialogue among States Parties on the sustainability of sectors such as hydrocarbons and mining in the Amazon Region, under the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and their sovereign national policies;
80. Foster the development of sustainable tourism, especially the typologies and morphologies most associated with the region, such as nature, cultural, indigenous, regenerative, community and agro-ecotourism, as one of the vectors of sustainable development in the Amazon Region, in order to offer, among other benefits, income alternatives, including through training and the improvement of tourism services;
81. Adopt urgent measures to reconcile economic activities with the objective of eliminating air, soil, and water pollution, with emphasis on Amazonian rivers, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. Welcome the leadership of Amazonian countries in chairing the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution that is based on a life-cycle approach to plastics and includes sufficient means of implementation for developing countries and is informed by science and knowledge. In this regard, the State Parties commit to contribute to the development of an ambitious agreement, as well as to the adoption of public policies that consider the entire life cycle of plastics, including those related to sustainable production and the strengthening of safe waste management, recyclability of materials and sustainability of product recycling chains, recognizing the important role played by waste pickers and other workers in these chains, indigenous traditional knowledge systems, in addition to promoting sustainable solutions that do not exacerbate existing pressures in the Amazon, nor create new negative impacts;
82. Invite development banks of the States Parties operating in the Amazon Region to work in an integrated and concerted manner in the sustainable development of the region through the formation and announcement of a Green Coalition, which promotes financial solutions that are in accordance with the programming of the States Parties and that, respecting local and regional characteristics, create and improve local productive activities and promote the viability of socially, environmentally and economically sustainable enterprises. Financial support to public and private projects that adhere to the Coalition’s objectives will allow the structuring and support of sustainable, inclusive economic alternatives, with local generation of employment and income opportunities, especially for low-income families. The proposed financial solutions should use catalytic public and private resources to promote risk reduction and leverage private sector participation, with the objective of expanding and accelerating the sustainable development of the region;
83. Exchange information on the actions taken by the States Parties to obtain bilateral or multilateral non-reimbursable financing for sustainable development and, when appropriate, articulate such actions in favor of joint projects in the Amazon to be implemented by ACTO;
Health
84. Promote universal health systems with an intercultural approach that guarantee access and respond to the characteristics of the territory and the populations of the Amazon region, with special emphasis on the needs of women;
85. Foster actions and services that provide knowledge and detection of changes in the social and environmental determinants that interfere with human health, considering the One Health approach, with the purpose of recommending and adopting measures to promote health, prevention and monitoring of risk factors related to diseases or health problems;
86. Cooperate in the development and implementation of national health plans for indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, reducing persistent barriers to access to health services, respecting the right to prior and informed consultation and strengthening social participation in the construction of actions, programs and policies aimed at these populations;
87. Facilitate the dissemination to suppliers in Amazonian countries of procurement calls for the acquisition and purchase of health technologies and products, as well as registered traditional medicine products, in accordance with national regulatory frameworks, thereby contributing to sustainable development;
88. Improve the performance of environmental public health programs and related institutions, prioritizing environmentally sustainable and resilient communities and cities, and promote environmental epidemiological health studies and generate intervention programs that prioritize the incidence of the social and environmental determinants of indigenous peoples’ health;
89. Strengthen, within the scope of ACTO, programs and contingency plans for the protection of the health of highly vulnerable indigenous peoples in initial contact or in conditions of geographic dispersion, with a view to creating a favorable context for the mitigation of threats from pandemics and endemic and emerging tropical diseases, as well as re-emerging diseases and those associated with the impacts of climate change;
90. Expand health cooperation in the Amazon Region, with special attention to border health actions and the populations living there, through joint actions for health care and nutrition of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities, focusing on respect for the culture and eating habits of the peoples, with special attention to women’s health, the fight against chronic child malnutrition, the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, parasitosis, malaria, dengue, zika, chikungunya, neglected tropical diseases and other communicable diseases, offering humanitarian cooperation actions in health and expanding vaccination coverage. This cooperation will include capacity building for indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities for the development of rehabilitation therapies for disabilities and pain management, among other measures;
91. Initiate a process of dialogue with a view to developing a regional epidemiological surveillance system and request the support of the Permanent Secretariat of ACTO for the coordination of the State Parties in this regard;
92. Strengthen actions to monitor the health of populations exposed to chemicals, particularly mercury, hazardous waste and plastic pollution, and to monitor air quality due to atmospheric pollutants in the Amazon, promoting the exchange of experiences to mitigate risks and negative impacts on human health and environmental quality, considering the commitments assumed by Amazonian countries in international conventions, treaties and agreements on mercury, chemicals, hazardous waste and plastic pollution;
93. Promoting the articulation of Western or allopathic medicine systems with ancestral or traditional medicine, respecting the knowledge and wisdom of the people who practice them and promoting an integral and holistic approach based on the reality of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon;
Food and nutrition security and sovereignty
94. Coordinate actions towards food and nutritional security and sovereignty, in accordance with applicable legislation and international agreements, favoring traditional, family and community production systems, improving the flow and quality of forest, biodiversity and agricultural products in the Amazonian regional market, and their international presence, including access to and dissemination of technologies;
95. Initiate a process of dialogue for the elaboration of an Amazonian strategy for food and nutritional security and sovereignty, with attention to production, availability, supply, and access to food from Amazonian biodiversity, in which the fight against chronic child malnutrition is a priority;
96. Request the support of ACTO’s Permanent Secretariat for the organization of events and initiatives to promote the exchange of experiences and collaboration in food and nutritional security and sovereignty, technical assistance and rural extension, in particular to promote food production systems based on traditional agriculture, family agriculture and aquaculture and artisanal fisheries, focusing on the products and particularities of the region. Such actions should consider the challenges and specific solutions to guarantee dignity, sustenance and the human right to adequate food, particularly for indigenous peoples, traditional communities and impoverished populations in the region’s urban centers, with respect to their cultural particularities, with a view to promoting adequate and healthy food and preventing the multiple forms of malnutrition;
Social Protection
97. Consider Social Protection as a policy with a structuring intercultural approach for the preservation of the wellbeing, ways of life, life plans and social coexistence of the Amazonian population;
98. Cooperate in the joint development of connectivity technologies and of mutual support, coordinated and programmed, to facilitate access to isolated locations, by water and by air for social care purposes;
99. Develop and share service modalities that identify and address the phenomena of vulnerability in specific communities, recognizing the need for full and effective participation of these populations in decision-making processes, seeking recognition of their particularities and avoiding negative impacts on their way of life;
Human rights and social participation
100. Carry out sectoral government policies, including subnational governments, in order to adopt measures to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, urban populations, and local and traditional communities of the Amazon Region in decision-making and public policy formulation processes, in accordance with their national legislations, ILO Convention 169, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, including free, prior and informed consultation protocols for indigenous peoples;
101. Promote actions to protect and guarantee the human rights of indigenous peoples and their collective rights over their territories and lands located in the Amazon Region, especially indigenous peoples in isolation and in initial contact, strengthening the available resources and public policies adapted to this region;
102. Adopt measures to prevent and avoid negative impacts of infrastructure projects on indigenous and traditional lands and territories and to rescue and value the diversity of practices, traditional and ancestral knowledge, knowledge, and practices and cosmovisions of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities;
103. Strengthen regional cooperation for the prevention and confrontation of gender-based violence, misogyny and racism in the Amazon Region, in all its forms and dimensions, and with the incorporation of the promotion and protection of the human rights of Afro-descendants, girls and all women, as a cross-cutting issue in actions for the conservation, restoration, management and sustainable use of biodiversity;
104. Implement measures to ensure a safe and enabling environment in which individuals, groups and organizations that promote and defend human rights, the environment, lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples and cultural rights can operate free of racism, violence, discrimination, threats and insecurity, promoting actions to ensure the highest possible level of physical and mental health of human rights defenders and victims of violence in the territory where they carry out their activities, based on the laws of the State Parties;
105. Promote, within ACTO’s framework, the creation of an Observatory on the situation of human rights defenders and defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples and of the environment in the Amazon, with a view to promoting the exchange of experiences and cooperation among the State Parties and to identify methodologies, sources of funding and best practices for their protection activities;
Recognition of Amazonian cultures
106. Promote the preservation, revitalization and recognition of Amazonian cultural expressions, in particular indigenous languages and cultures, including within the framework of UNESCO’s International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Languages, encouraging collaboration among States Parties, and supporting initiatives that foster the exchange of knowledge and experience;
107. Promote and support, within the framework of ACTO, meetings of promoters and managers of culture in the Amazon Region, to stimulate dialogue between cultural agents and institutions, strengthen the collective understanding of the cultures of the Amazon as a shared heritage, and provide opportunities to organize joint cultural activities, income generation and social inclusion;
108. Cooperate in the development of national and regional policies aimed at guaranteeing the protection and respectful and dignified use of the knowledge and wisdom of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities that inhabit the Amazon;
Diplomatic cooperation
109. Instruct, through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, that the Embassies and Missions of the State Parties accredited to international organizations and donor countries may, where appropriate, exchange information and coordinate actions in support of issues of interest to the State Parties related to ACTO and Amazonian cooperation in international negotiations;
110. Entrust ACTO with the organization, on a regular basis and alternating among the different States Parties, of new editions of the Course on Amazon Diplomacy for Young Diplomats of ACTO Member States, in order to promote dialogue and cooperation in an area of strategic importance for the diplomatic academies or equivalent in the region, and to welcome the first edition, organized by the Government of Brazil, in the context of this Summit;
Implementation of the Belém Declaration
111. Instruct the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) to adopt the corresponding measures for the progressive implementation and incorporation of the actions of this Declaration, with a schedule, deadlines and means of implementation, as regards the Organization’s areas of work and the next version of ACTO’s Strategic Agenda, to be completed as soon as possible;
112. Welcome the holding of the Amazon Technical-Scientific Meeting (Leticia, July 5 to 8, 2023) and the Amazon Dialogues (Belém, August 4 to 6, 2023), which were attended by representatives of different sectors of the societies of the State Parties, and take note of their conclusions, which will also be considered by the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the ACT to decide on their progressive implementation and incorporation into the areas of work of the Organization; and
113. Appreciate the offer of the President of the Republic of Colombia to convene and hold the V Meeting of Presidents of the States Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty in August 2025.
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