Type of Meeting: Working Breakfast

MINUTE

The Ministers of Environment of the Member Countries of ACTO met on February 3, 2012 in the context of the Eighteenth Forum Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean in Quito.

Type of Meeting: Working Breakfast

Participants: Ministers of Environment of ACTO Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela
Time: 07h30 - 09h00
Agenda:
1. Agenda Approval
2. Opening by the Coordinating Ministers of the Environment and Heritage
3. Intervention by the Secretary General of ACTO
4. Speech by Minister of Environment of Peru
4.1 Presentation of the Meeting of the Meeting of Environment Ministers of the Member Countries of ACTO
4.2.Consideration of Meeting Agenda
5.Dialogue of Ministers
6.Contribution to Rio +20 ACTO vision of the Member Countries of ACTO on the Forum of Environment Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean.
7. Consideration and approval of the press release.

Development of the Meeting

1. Approvalof Agenda. MercyBorbor, Deputy Minister of Environment of Ecuador,thanked theMinistersof Environmentof ACTO Member Countries and presentedthe agenda of themeeting, which wasapproved.
2. MercyBorbor, Deputy Minister of Environment,andJuanCarlosCoellar, Deputy Minister of HeritageofEcuador,were welcomed andgreeted theEnvironment Ministers ofthe Member Countries ofACTO, stressing the need to strengthensuchinstancesfor rethinkingthe participation ofStates inregionalintegration processes.

3. The Secretary General of ACTO Amb. Alejandro Gordillo, Secretary General of ACTO, said to be the first opportunity I had to go to / the Ministers / o Environment was appropriate to present the situational state SP / ACT. That OTCA is in a process of revival, and as part of this process is designed the Amazon Cooperation Strategic Agenda, which contains guidelines to provide an overview of the Amazon as well as a vision, mission and strategic objectives the PS / ACTO and containing two clear strategic lines:
- Conservation and Sustainable Use / sustainable renewable natural resources
- Sustainable development / sustainability.
In its roles as part of the strategic agenda has incorporated new issues relating to climate change, energy and regional development and has identified issues of importance such as forests, water resources, illicit trade and protection of flora and fauna, science and technology , bio, promotion of biodiversity and biotechnology. ACTO's main contributors to the governments of Germany and Holland who in the process of supporting this regional organization have found that members are satisfied with the operation of the OTCA. Two of the most important projects that are running are:
I. Monitoring of deforestation, logging and changes in land use in Amazonia.
II. Integrated and sustainable management of transboundary water resources in the Amazon River basin, considering the variability and climate change.
In November 2011 the Foreign Ministers of member countries, met in Manaus and issued a document entitled "Commitment of Manaus" with new mandates for the Permanent Secretariat, among which included the proposed creation of an observatory Amazon and the creation of the University Amazon region. Foreign Ministers also adopted the Declaration Rio +20 with a proposal that focuses from the Amazon sustainable development and the need to strengthen ACTO as an instance of regional cooperation. Given a concern of any Minister on whether to expand cooperative relations of the OTCA, the Secretary-General informed qu ACTO is negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding within the framework of South-South cooperation with the Commission of Central African Forests ( COMIFAC) and ASEAN.
4. The Minister of Environment of Peru recalled that the next meeting of Environment Ministers of OTCA be held in Lima on 20 and 21 March 2012. He said the relevant aspects regarding cooperation Amazon Rio plus 20 to be translated into real action. Referred to the following relevant aspects to be included on the agenda: 1. Presentation of the SP / ACT. 2 The questions related to the environmental, the relaunch of the OTCA and the mandates of the Commitment of Manaus. 3 Review of the strategic agenda and related sub-criteria of sustainable forest management actions related to water resource management and forest management, evaluation of the position of the Amazon countries to Rio +20, among other topics. Recognize that the relaunch of the OTCA has borne fruit, which is becoming increasingly the will of the Member Countries of generating measures, actions and recommendations not only in the context of the relationship between countries but within each one where they have strengthened Standing Committees. It is important to analyze from each of the countries the major changes experienced by the Amazon and is responsible for all actions to these changes (mining, timber, oil, hydropower) that generate conflict. It is an opportunity to look to the future with greater social and environmental responsibility, to see these issues holistically and not as isolated events, with the challenge of making good practice in public policy.

5. THE Deputy Minister of Bolivia thanked the OTCA for this initiative, and referred to aspects of the biological wealth of our rainforest.
6. The Deputy Minister of Ecuador stressed the importance being given to the Ecuadorian Amazon. He stressed the need for protection of TK TK of indigenous peoples.
7. The Delegation of Colombia welcomed the holding of this event and referred to various points on different aspects of Amazonian biodiversity and agreements of cooperation between various institutions and the ACTO-CAN agreement, stating the need for continued thinking more technical dialogues and politicians who could be one of the things that Lima could be realized.
8. Ministers intervened on the issues. Developed the following dialogue: Brazil, mentioned the importance of a renewed energy matrix. It is necessary to combine the experiences of countries with new projects and work with emphasis on access to water and food. He emphasized the vision of integration and cooperation Amazon which may present a model of coexistence, and likewise asked to present at the meeting of Ministers of Peru experience combating deforestation and the Amazon Fund for presentation on financing alternatives to cooperation projects of the OTCA.
Bolivia: Noted that the Amazon was taking particular interest in recent years by the presence of important economic activities and impacts should be prevented remarkable and manage them as OTCA, the Amazon is no longer a great forest conservation, it is necessary to look with new eyes and determine what is a forest with multiple pressures that generate conflicts and those conflicts require management. Some of these conflicts are: formal and informal mining, legal and illegal absence of state institutions; pressure of a growing agricultural frontier, migration of human populations and from the Amazon. The economic speed in the Amazon requires countries to plan and implement a communications infrastructure, which constitutes part of a development agenda. It is important to coordinate actions related to conservation and sustainable use of forests, supported conservation initiatives, building information systems to identify the reality of deforestation, impacts, environmental conflicts, productive activities and impacts. It is vital to work on research topics such as biodiversity and genetic resources, strengthening of state institutions to enable States to be closer to the Amazon, incorporating this territory in the eyes of society and in legislation and action as it happens and in Ecuador and Bolivia.

Ecuador: The Ecuadorian government has turned its gaze to the Amazon region where we get the resources of the country, it is important to learn from other countries in the management of mining activities. Ecuador currently has covered the establishment of the Special Territorial Constituency Amazon (CTEA) and Indigenous Territorial Constituency (CTIS) as mechanisms for planning and local peoples' rights, respecting peoples and nationalities and including 12% of the extractive industry socially oil to reinvest in the Amazon. There is a need to protect the people to ensure and assess their ancestral knowledge and progress in building a society of bioconocimiento. Ecuador says that Ecuador recognizes the rights of nature and ensures the good life, also shares the State's efforts to create incentives for conservation and the Socio Bosque and the Yasuni ITT (net emissions avoided).
Colombia: applauded the institutional modernization of ACTO with its relaunch. He noted that it is vitally important to maintain joint actions in areas such as climate change. The issue of protected areas is one of its strengths as a country. You need to work on generating quality information with the support of South-South cooperation and promote strategic alliances with institutions such as FAO and UNEP cooperation not only technical but also financial support. As part of the CAN program is generated there BIOCAN and sharing elements and strengthen ACTO. It needs to generate strong elements of discussion prior to Rio +20. It is important to clarify the objectives of sustainable development could complement Millennium Development Goals. Some of the topics for the agenda of Environment Ministers in Lima include: Institutionalization of the OTCA, strategic alliances and Rio +20 may be part of the agenda of Lima. More needs to be thinking about the mechanism for political dialogue to advance technical.
Venezuela: The SP-ACTO needs support and input from countries in the areas of: research, education centers, observatory, integrated watershed management. Regarding the conflict in the Amazon, opposition to mining activities is because historically we have generated confidence in the people that these activities do not cause impacts. It is necessary to realize the policy and hold meetings with practical resolutions. He noted that it should include the responsible use of energy resources that enable sustainable development essential for our people. "This is our countries to generate confidence in the people of developing dynamic than degrading the environment." The Venezuelan representative concluded that the character of the meeting of the ACTO should allow direct open dialogue, which does justice to the political and generate practical conclusions.
Guyana: The need for greater coordination in the management of resources, each country has its own individual actions and vision with action geographic barriers. We must show that the Amazon is a region united. In the Forum of Environment Ministers in Quito must include the vision of the OTCA in the declaration of Quito.
Peru agreed to send a proposed agenda in the coming days in relation to the Lima event to unfold on March 21, 2012.
9. The Deputy Minister of Environment in Ecuador said there was a draft press release that brought him to account and that the comments received on the PS / ACTO would issue the final press release. This meeting closed the breakfast meeting.