The gathering of Brazilian Amazonian states for the development of the region was the motto behind the 14th Forum of the Governors of the Legal Amazon, held this Friday, May 5, in Porto Velho, Rondônia.
The Forum began this Thursday, May 4, with state secretaries and technical advisors from the areas of Public Safety, Environment and Social Communication. In the Environmental Agenda, opportunities for technical cooperation among states were presented, mainly for the topics of deforestation control, water resource management and the implementation of key tools, such as the Rural Environmental Registry and the Environmental Regularization Program.
Idesam was present as the National Coordinator of the Governors for Climate and Forests’ Task Force (GCF), supporting the event and participating in the Panel on Mechanisms and Strategies for a Regional REDD+ Policy. At the end of the day, as it has become customary, the Environment Secretaries and other GCF delegates met at a closed meeting to address internal network issues. The GCF was attended by Colleen Scanlan-Lyons, GCF Program Director and Priscilla Santos, Climate Change, Environment and Peace Program Officer at the Norwegian Embassy in Brasília.
The Forum culminated in the signing of the Letter of Intent that will give rise to the Interstate Consortium of the Legal Amazon. “The consortium aims to unite the states and, in an integrated and harmonious way, seek and carry out actions for sustainable development in the Amazon. Today, development policies are very isolated and there is sometimes rework, projects that are complementary, but there is no single force in this goal, so this initiative is relevant especially in the areas of Infrastructure, Public Security, Science, Technology and Innovation and the Environment”, explained the Secretary of Planning of Amazonas, Jorge Junior. According to him, the debate is very important, since each state has several peculiarities.
The creation of the consortium marks a strong result of GCF member states in Brazil. From the outset, the GCF supported the Forum of Governors and Secretaries of Environment of the Legal Amazon, which has gained strength with each edition and has added new agendas in its development, strengthening Amazon integration in a profound way. “GCF members have always believed that the Amazon is strengthened when it works together, and we see in the creation of the consortium a demonstration of the subnational entities’ leadership in national and international politics”, says Mariano Cenamo, Senior Researcher at Idesam and GCF National Coordinator.
The Governors’ Forum was also attended by the Norwegian Ambassador, Ms Aud Marit Wiig. In her speech, the Ambassador said that the Amazon is a key region for sustainable development in Brazil and reinforced confidence in the relationship between Brazil and Norway. She also pointed out that we must recognize that the states are part of the solution and that Norway has confidence in the firmness of the commitments made to reduce deforestation and forest conservation, while respecting the people who live there.
The 14th Forum was widely publicized in the media: 24horasNews, Conexão Tocantins, Correio de Notícia, Portal Amazônia, Jornal Opinião, Diário da Amazônia, Rondônia Ao Vivo, Rondônia Dinâmica. The next Governors’ Forum will be held in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, between 10-11 August 2017.
