Lula: Amazon Summit a milestone in climate debate
Shortly before delivering his opening address at the Amazon Summit in Belém, Pará state, Brazilian President Lula said Tuesday (Aug. 8) that the event is a milestone in the discussion surrounding climate. In his weekly program Conversa com o Presidente, broadcast by Canal Gov, he noted that over 27 thousand people participated in the discussions prior to the international assembly, including representatives from social movements, academia, think tanks, and government agencies from Brazil and other Amazon nations.
The Amazon Summit brings together member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), created in 1978. The group has not gathered for 14 years. Formed by Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, ACTO forms the only socio-environmental bloc in Latin America. Also invited to the summit were French Guiana, which holds Amazon territories, Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—countries with large tropical forests.
“The history of the defense of the Amazon and the forest, the ecological transition, will have two moments: before and after this meeting. Because this meeting is the strongest thing ever done in defense of the climate issue,” Lula said on the show. “The basic idea is, we’re preparing so that all countries come together in a common position in the United Arab Emirates during COP28 and change the discussion,” he added.
Official engagements
Lula has had commitments in the North since last week. This morning, he meets with ACTO heads of state, then lunch. Early in the afternoon, he should have a bilateral meeting with Bolivian President Luis Arce. At 3 pm, he is expected to participate in a debate with speeches by the heads of state. Next, the Belém Declaration, a document with the guidelines approved at the summit, should be disclosed.
