The Amazon, natural treasure and global challenge
The Amazon, the largest forest basin in the world, holds everyone’s attention on August 8 and 9, when the summit of heads of state of the 8 signatory countries of the Amazon Pact is being held. Bringing together Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, this meeting is taking place in Belém Do Para, Brazil, and includes the notable presence of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, guest as leader of the leading country in the Congo Basin.
Under the initiative of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, this regional summit is an opportunity for the eight countries of the ACTO (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization) to discuss ways to attract investment, fight against deforestation, protect indigenous peoples and encourage sustainable development in the face of climate change.
The presence of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at this summit is of particular importance. Indeed, the DRC holds the largest forest massif in the Congo Basin, representing 62% of this vital ecosystem. Aware of the climate emergency, the DRC has signed a trilateral agreement with Brazil and Indonesia for the preservation of their respective forest covers, considered essential in the fight against climate change on a global scale.
The trilateral alliance between Brazil, the DRC and Indonesia was formalized in November 2022, during COP-27, with the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. This cooperation aims to strengthen actions in favor of tropical forests and climate action.
The Belém Do Para summit therefore presents itself as a crucial opportunity for the countries of the Amazon to strengthen their cooperation and affirm their commitment to the preservation of this natural heritage of capital importance for the ecological balance of the planet.
In conclusion, the holding of the Summit of Heads of State of the Amazon is an important step in the efforts to preserve the Amazonian ecosystem. The participation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo demonstrates the importance attached to the protection of tropical forests and the essential role that these countries play in the fight against climate change. It is essential that the decisions taken at this summit make it possible to strengthen international cooperation and to put in place concrete and effective measures to preserve this natural treasure