PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC—Suriname is hosting the 15th ministerial meeting of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). The meeting was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed due to internal challenges within the grouping.
Foreign Affairs, International Business, and International Cooperation Minister Albert Ramdin, who is chairing Monday’s meeting, said that this ministerial gathering will focus on environmental policy as well as economic and diplomatic cooperation.
“one of the most important outcomes of the meeting will be the ‘Paramaribo Declaration,’” he said, noting that the document will contain the collective positions and policy guidelines of ACTO countries and will serve as a basis for further discussions at the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) to be held in Brazil in November this year.
ACTO is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1995 by the eight Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
These countries signed the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) to promote cooperation on sustainability, political-diplomatic issues, and socio-economic development in the Amazon region.
Ramdin said at least 50 delegates from Colombia, including the ACT Secretary General, Martin Von Hildebrand, will attend the meeting.
He said the meeting here would focus on further strengthening cooperation within the ACTO countries, with special attention to climate change, sustainable trade, protection of Indigenous communities, and the role of the Amazon as ‘the lungs of the world.’
The decisions taken in Paramaribo will significantly impact the joint agenda of the ACTO countries attending the UNFCCC COP 30 meeting.
ACTO is essential in protecting the Amazon and developing sustainable regional strategies. It also has a broader political and diplomatic role.
“The ACTO meeting in Suriname offers a unique opportunity to develop strategies and reach consensus on crucial issues jointly. The outcomes of this meeting will make an important contribution to the global efforts to combat climate change and protect the biodiversity of the Amazon region,” Ramdin said.
He underscored the importance of the meeting, urging member countries to cooperate to ensure the sustainability of the Amazon region while leveraging economic opportunities that align with the interests of Indigenous peoples and the broader society.
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