Guyana鈥檚 Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman (R) delivers a final statement next to Ecuador鈥檚 President Lenin Moreno (L) and Suriname鈥檚 Vice-President Michael Adhin during the Presidential Summit for the Amazon at the National University in Leticia, department of Amazonas, Colombia, on September 6, 2019. 鈥� Six Amazonian countries will meet Friday in Leticia to agree protection measures for the Amazon rainforest, the lasrgest in the world, hit by fires and deforestation. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP)
LETICIA, Colombia 鈥� Presidents and ministers from seven Amazon countries met in Colombia on Friday to agree on 聽measures to protect the world鈥檚 biggest rainforest, under threat from wildfires and rampant deforestation.
The summit took place in the wake of an international outcry over months of raging fires that have devastated swaths of the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia.
The gathering aimed 鈥渢o foster a space for regional dialogue to advance the protection and sustainable use of this region, which is essential for the survival of the planet,鈥� Colombia鈥檚 President Ivan Duque said.
Duque inaugurated the meeting in a 鈥渕aloka鈥� 鈥� an indigenous hut 鈥� surrounded by members of the Tikuna tribe with headdresses of colored feathers in southern Colombia鈥檚 Amazon city of Leticia.
Brazil鈥檚 President Jair Bolsonaro, widely criticized over policies that favor deforestation and a delayed reaction to the wildfires, did not travel to Leticia, citing doctors鈥� orders.
However, speaking by videoconference, he urged other leaders to resist calls, spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron, to internationalize protection of the Amazon.
鈥淲e must take a strong position of defense of sovereignty so that each country can develop the best policy for the Amazon region, and not leave it in the hands of other countries,鈥� said Bolsonaro, who is due to undergo surgery Sunday.
Protection pact
Seated at a long wooden table in the shade of tall trees, the representatives of the seven nations signed the 鈥淟eticia Pact for the Amazon鈥� that Duque said would provide greater protection for the rainforest, as existing treaties had 鈥渇allen short.鈥�
The pact establishes a roadmap for safeguarding the rainforest 鈥渘ot only for the Amazon countries but also the nations of the region and the international community,鈥� he said.
Colombia鈥檚 Environment Minister Ricardo Lozano said the new measures include the establishment of an 鈥淎mazonian cooperation network鈥� to share information on deforestation, including weather data to mitigate the effects of climate change, and threats from illegal mining and logging.
鈥淲e needed to increase and strengthen the cooperation between us, precisely to meet the great challenges of the Amazon, which are becoming more extreme and more intense every day,鈥� he told reporters in Leticia.
Aside from the host Duque, other presidents attending were Peru鈥檚 Martin Vizcarra, Ecuador鈥檚 Lenin Moreno and Evo Morales of Bolivia. Suriname鈥檚 vice-president Michael Adhin and聽Guyana鈥檚 natural resources minister Raphael Trotman also attended.
Brazil was represented by Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo.
鈥淲e have to give concrete answers,鈥� Vizcarra told the conference. 鈥淭he dimension of the problem forces us to make drastic decisions.鈥�
New instruments
In a message to the summit, UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay called on leaders to 鈥渞einforce existing instruments鈥� designed to protect the Amazon.
鈥淭hese instruments should be strengthened, more states encouraged to ratify them, increase protected areas, strengthen surveillance and action capabilities.鈥�
Brazil contains 60 percent of the rainforest within its borders, with the rest spread over areas of Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela as well as the French overseas department of French Guyana.
Venezuela, despite having a large swath of the Amazon, was not invited, as host Colombia does not recognize the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.聽 /muf