PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC -Delegates attending the 15th ministerial meeting of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) have formulated joint strategies to strengthen the region’s position in global climate negotiations.
Foreign Affairs, International Business, and International Cooperation Minister Albert Ramdin told a news conference following the end of the meeting on Monday that the importance of the Amazon region as an essential ecological and economic pillar was central during the ministerial meeting.
“We were able to formulate joint strategies to strengthen the position of the region in global climate negotiations,” Ramdin said, adding that the meeting had provided valuable insights and laid the foundation for further action in the run-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) to be held in Brazil in November this year.
Ramdin, who chaired the one-day meeting, told reporters that the region needs to be developed in a balanced and sustainable way, with both the inhabitants and the environment at the center.
“The Amazon region has a vital function for the entire world, but especially for the inhabitants of the countries involved,” he said, noting the need for international cooperation and financing to support and further develop the region.
Ramdin said that during the ACTO meeting, which was attended by representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname, increasing attention was discussed for a multi-sectoral approach, which considers not only the environment but also energy generation, education, health care, culture, and infrastructure.
“The development of the forest must provide benefits to local communities in a balanced way,” he added.
The “Paramaribo Declaration,” issued at the end of the meeting, underscored the urgent need for collective action to approach the climate issue and the challenges facing ACTO, an intergovernmental organization founded in 1995.
Both Ramdin and ACTO Secretary General Martin van Hildebrand said the meeting also addressed issues such as climate change, sustainable development and trade, and the protection of Indigenous communities living in the rainforest.
The Paramaribo Declaration emphasizes the importance of stimulating sustainable development in the Amazon region. Ramdin said that when it comes to the development of the Amazon communities, the recognition of the land rights of the indigenous population is undoubtedly a critical issue.
The Paramaribo Declaration states that ACTO countries will continue to work to keep the temperature increase below two percent, urging industrialized countries to fulfill their commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as a result of their industrialization.
Ramdin said the Paramaribo Declaration also calls on industrialized countries to fulfill their commitments to the world and to developing countries by making technology and financial resources available to smaller economies to defend themselves against climate change.
“We don’t need consultants to whom much of the money is spent and flows back to the rich countries, but simple mechanisms to qualify for climate finance.”
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