In an article published in Le Monde Diplomatique Brazil, researchers Viviana Porto, Beatriz Mattos, Marília Closs, and Nycolas Candido from Plataforma CIPÓ analyze the impacts of the first year of the Belém Declaration, signed in August 2023 by Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
These eight countries make up the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)—the only international organization headquartered in Brazil. The article emphasizes the revitalization of ACTO as a crucial forum for coordinating responses to the region’s social, economic, and environmental challenges.
The researchers highlight ongoing initiatives, such as the creation of the Amazon Intergovernmental Technical-Scientific Panel and the Amazon Indigenous Peoples Mechanism. However, they warn of obstacles in implementing key commitments, such as the International Police Cooperation Center, whose progress has been hindered by financial, political, and institutional difficulties.
According to the article, “the strengthening of ACTO as a multilateral coordination platform is essential, but a lack of resources and political disagreements still present obstacles for the organization to fulfill its role.” The authors also note that “the active participation of local communities and the expansion of ACTO’s human resources are crucial to ensuring sustainable development in the Amazon.”
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