Brazil has offered to host a regional summit in early August as part of efforts to renew the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), bringing together countries containing parts of the Amazon rainforest along with senior officials from the U.S. and France.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva aims to consolidate the region’s plans for the Amazon at the summit in the northern city of Belem on Aug. 8 and 9 after which he would present that shared vision to the United Nations General Assembly the following month, where confronting climate change is expected to be a central part of his message, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said on Thursday.
How the eight countries making up ACTO could attract investments, combat deforestation, protect Indigenous peoples and encourage sustainable development in the face of climate change will top the agenda during the August summit.
Read also: Study: Protected lands in the Amazon prevent disease, save billions
Lula’s plans for ACTO are key to his diplomatic goals for his third term, after major strides in combating deforestation during his 2003-2010 presidency.
French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected to attend the regional summit, on behalf of French Guiana, along with U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would also be invited after missing out on regional meetings in recent years, amid the suspension of diplomatic ties with Brazil’s former government and strained relations with other countries in the region.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
