MINISTRY OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Proposal

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT in the AMAZON REGION

March 2014

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela

Youth Involvementin the Amazon Region

  1. Program information
  2. Name of the Program: Amazon Youth Involvement Program
  3. Country submitting the proposal: Republic of Suriname
  4. Participating countries: Member Countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (8)
  5. Location: ACTO Member Countries
  1. Introduction

The Amazon Cooperation Treaty was signed on the 3rd of July 1978 by the eight Countries of the Amazon region Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The objective of the Treaty is to promote the harmonious development of the Amazon region, guaranteeing an equitable distribution of the benefits of aforementioned development among the Contracting Parties in order to raise the standards of living of the Amazonian population.

In 1998 the Member Countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) decided to take one more step in this joint process by establishing the ACTO and its Permanent Secretariat (PS). Within the framework of these efforts and challenges, on 13 December 2002 the ACTO headquarter were inaugurated in Brasilia, Brazil, where its PS functions.

ACTO is an international organization that has the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs as its highest body, supported and assisted by the Amazon Cooperation Council (ACC) and by the Coordinating Commission of the Amazon Cooperation Council (CCOOR). At the national level, the Member Countries have Permanent National Commissions (PNC) that are responsible for applying the provisions of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty and for executing the decisions adopted by the meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Amazon Cooperation Council, without prejudice of other tasks assigned to it by each State (Article XXIII of the ACT). Presided by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the PNCs congregate all the entities responsible forAmazonian cooperation and development in their respective territories.

Issue of involving Amazon population based on the Treaty.

  1. Background

In the year 2006 the initiative was taken to organize a youth expedition in order to involve the Amazonian youth in the process of knowing the Amazon region (“Getting to know the Amazon- The ACTO and Youth- Path of Orellana, June 24- July 27). The expedition was successful due to the participation of youth from all ACTO Member Countries. In various ACTO activities the desire was expressed to involve the youth of the Amazon wherever and whenever necessary, due to the fact that the youth represents an enormous percentage of the total population in the Amazon region and the contribution they can make in realizing certain goals. The indigenous agenda e.g. also includes in one of its long term activities the participation of indigenous and other tribal community youths in the activities of ACTO and other spaces. Finally the Ministers of Foreign Affairs gave mandate to develop greater dialogue spaces with Amazonian peoples by holding a regional seminar (article 5 Manaus declaration 2011) and to promote the effective participation of the Amazonian populations in the ACTO through dialogue and broad, democratic, intercultural, transparent, pluralistic, diverse and independent interaction, with several players in the Amazon, establishing effective channels of information, and follow-up on the different activities of the ACTO (article 26 Coca declaration).

At the XII Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ACTO, held in El Coca, Ecuador on May 3rd 2013, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname, GinmardoKromosoeto, emphasized the need to include the youth in ACTO matters by stating that“Suriname is of the opinion that the inclusion of the Amazonian youth in the activities of ACTO is of fundamental importance for achieving our goal of sustainable development of the Amazon region. Against this background, and based on our own experiences, Suriname strongly suggests that special ACTO programs on greater youth participation be elaborated”.

Based on experiences within CARICOM and UNASUR, participation of the Amazon youth can be considered to be beneficial in the context of sustainable development of our region. Within CARICOM Suriname and Guyana are participating in the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Program (CYAP) and the recent activities within UNASUR on youth participation is that there is a proposal of creating a platform for youths to present their points of view on various topics.

  1. General description of the program

The Amazon Youth Involvement Program is a mechanism for youth involvement and participation within the existing structures of the Permanent Secretariat of the Organization.

  1. Justification

The young Amazon community, which will be included in the Amazon Youth Involvement Program (AYIP), is an organization mechanism for deepening levels of youth participation in Amazon integration and development of new systems and processes for the progress in relevant areas of the organization (social, environmental, educational, health, indigenous affairs).

The Amazon Youth Involvement Program (AYIP) of the PS/ACTO is a network of young people in the Amazon Region, selected by the Foreign Ministries of ACTO Member Countries, to promote and educate youth on the lines of action of the programs and projects coordinated by the PS / ACTO as well as regional development priorities in the region. These young people will be responsible for addressing youth-related national Amazon issues within a regional strategic framework, as well as issues of attention of legislators and planners in the region. The ACTO Secretariat, with the support of the MC as a whole, will work towards the development and support of AYIP delegates through resources, skills and proper knowledge about the region and provide spaces and opportunities to participate in the development of programs and policies for decision making at the regional level.

The program will be coordinated by the ACTO Permanent Secretariat and will also have the support of each Member Country, provided nationally by the departments responsible for youth, and implemented through multiple partnerships and networks with stakeholders such as public sector agencies and private development partners, youth councils and national youth organizations.

  1. TheObjectives of the AYIP are:
  1. Educating young people on ACTO issues and help to encourage them to take advantage and contribute to the implementation of regional Amazon programs, in development at the PS/ACTO.
  2. Integrate perspectives of youth and encourage youth participation in social and economic development systems of the Amazon Region.
  3. Advocate for the rights of young people and contribute to the development and implementation of policies and sustainable national and regional programs.
  4. Promote the Amazon identity and citizenship among youth.
  5. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the AYIP.

These goals and objectives serve as a development road map for proper implementation of programs and resources for managing their development of programs and resources, both regionally and nationally. The objectives and targets should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they meet the needs and challenges of the population to be served properly and effectively. It is important to achieve these goals and objectives, in order to achieve an effective implementation of programs and policieswhich serve the needs of the youth.

Specifically, the AYIP can help young people to achieve these goals through:

  • The establishment of active institutional networks, using information and communication Technologies.
  • Learn to develop capabilities for obtaining resources to push plans and programs that are generated during the process of maturation of activities in execution.
  • Conducting situational analysis with results to guide policy adjustments being implemented for youth.
  • To promote national awareness of youth issues.
  • Involve the youth within their communities.
  • Leading, through their activities, behavior changing to achieve the appropriation of their Amazon identity.
  • Planning and execution of projects.
  1. The AYIP defines the following priority actions:

• Promote dialogue and creative work (participatory dialogue, understanding and building trust, which can lead to new relationships and innovative solutions)

• Encourage interaction networks between youth and government organizations and other young actors in the region.

• Carry out effective advocacy to ensure that rights of the youth are respected and protected.

• Foster an environment that supports the leadership and participation of Youth.

• Improve the management, implementation and evaluation of programs to ensure the objectives successfully.

• Achieve National and Regional commitment to support the appropriation of the processes that lead to improved quality of life, through communication, teamwork and harmonized strategies.

• Targeting vulnerable groups with a focus to help young people develop skills, build competencies and build trust.

• Promote multi-sector collaboration: with the participation of other stakeholders to contribute to a common community action plan in the programs and services provided by or for youth.

  1. Profile AYIP members:
  • Age between 16 and 30 years.
  • Capable of being non- judgmental, objective, honest and confident
  • Possess strong interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills.
  • Have basic knowledge of the Amazon Region (issue’s)
  • Willing to commit the time required for the program success.
  • Able to internalize the knowledge and develop the ability to communicate it to others.
  • Create links with national and regional Amazon community networks.
  1. Selection Criteria for membership of the AYIP:

Each Member Country is free to nominate candidates of both gender (male and female), who will serve respectively as national youth delegate and alternate national youth delegate, whose ages are consistent with the national definition of youth, and should remain one year to three years as representative of the AYIP. Delegates must be:

I. Endorsed by the Governments of the Member Countries of ACTO.

II.A national of one of the Member Countries

III. Reside in the country which they are representing

IV. Delegates should have some experience within National Youth Councils and / or be youth organization representatives. The representative could also be a member of a social group or a student.

V. Committed to stay and serve as a delegate of the AYIP during the time of mandate.

VI. Supported by his family, bosses and / or educational institution, to develop the functions delegated to the AYIP representative.

VII. If necessary Governments of the MC of the ACTO are free to replace their delegates within the time of serving. For continuity purposes, both delegates should not be replaced simultaneously.

The ACTO Permanent Secretariat will provide AYIP delegates, with technical assistance and support, as well as regional monitoring of the activities and operations of the AYIP, in order to ensure compliance with its mandate, and to identify, organize and create activities and events that are designed to develop capabilities of AYIP delegates so that they can perform their functions.

For this support, the PS / ACTO include:

•Promotion, management development, capacity and resource development / fundraising.

• Mentoring and counseling of youth delegates

• Access to regional and international organizations

• Access to information and communication services

•Creating synergies between AYIP ongoing projects and those implemented by the PS / ACTO

• Monitoring and evaluating the AYIP

•Coordination and facilitation of the participation of youth delegates of AYIP in regional decision-making and program and policy development.

•Coordination and logistical support to the annual progress of the regional projects.