In Bogotá, Lula defends multilateralism as the only way to protect the Amazon

On Friday, August 22, speaking during a meeting with civil society and Indigenous community representatives as part of the V Summit of Presidents of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization’s (ACTO) agenda in Bogotá, Colombia, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that only joint action by all countries, based on the principle of multilateralism, can lead to an efficient solution to combat climate change and protect the Amazon.

>> President Lula's speech during meeting with civil society within the scope of the ACTO Summit

There is no individual way out of the climate crisis. There is no other way to overcome it besides multilateralism. Much has already been negotiated, but little has been fulfilled. We need new global governance. If the UN is the place we have created to address the most important issues of humanity, that is where climate change should be. We will work to create a Climate Council that is capable of mobilizing countries to meet their commitments"

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the Republic

“There is no individual way out of the climate crisis. There is no other way to overcome it besides multilateralism. Much has already been negotiated, but little has been fulfilled. We need new global governance. If the UN is the place we have created to address the most important issues of humanity, that is where climate change should be. We will work to create a Climate Council that is capable of mobilizing countries to meet their commitments," said Lula.

In addition to Brazil and the host country, the summit — held at the Casa de Nariño, the official residence of President Gustavo Petro and headquarters of the Colombian Executive Branch — brought together representatives of Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, all part of the treaty.

The event in Bogotá is a continuation of the Belém Summit, which took place in August 2023 at Brazil’s initiative. At that time, the Heads of State of the Amazon countries launched a new common agenda for the Amazon, based on the commitments to protect the biome and the Amazon basin; promote sustainable development with social inclusion; value science, technology, and innovation; stimulate the bioeconomy; and recognize the leadership of Indigenous peoples and local communities. "To be here is to see the seed we planted two years ago grow and bear fruit. At the Belém Summit, I said that that moment represented the beginning of a new Amazonian dream," Lula said.

To the Brazilian President, the Summit in Bogotá is an effective start to the march towards COP30 — to be held in November in Belém. "In 2023, the Amazonian Dialogues brought together almost 30,000 people, who helped us form this new vision. Today, this meeting of the presidents with civil society and Indigenous peoples paves the way to COP30. ACTO is a living platform that must be up to today's challenges and sensitive to society's desires," he said.

NO VIOLENCE — Lula once again stated that the world needs to understand the Amazon and that millions of people — who have the right to a dignified life in alignment with the protection of the rainforest — live under its treetops. To this end, violence in all its forms must be eradicated. "The Amazonian people deserve to be free of violence — violence that destroys the forest and poisons the waters; that ends the livelihood of fishermen and extractivists; that expels Indigenous people from their lands and riverside residents from their homes; and that takes the lives of those who fight for the Amazon, such as Chico Mendes, Dorothy Stang, Bruno Pereira, Dom Philips and many others," observed the Brazilian president. 

POINT OF NO RETURN — During his speech, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, warned that the world needs to unite to prevent the planet from reaching the point of no return — the moment when the consequences of climate change become irreversible. Petro stressed that the fight to stop this from happening must be based on the protection of the Amazon forest.

"Other parts of Latin America suffer other consequences [of global warming]. Therefore, we must meet to coordinate how to save the Amazon jungle from the heat of the atmosphere, which is increasingly growing." This thought was reinforced by the President of Bolivia, Luís Arce: "The future of the Amazon is not only our future, but the future of humanity and the future of Mother Earth."

BOGOTÁ DECLARATION – In addition to the meeting of the presidents with representatives of organized civil society and Indigenous peoples, the program for the Summit in Bogotá included a private meeting among the leaders. During this private meeting, the Bogotá Declaration is expected to be adopted. The summit was preceded by meetings of the Amazon Cooperation Council on Wednesday, August 20, and of foreign ministers on Thursday, August 21.

These are the two main instances of ACTO. The documents to be discussed during the summit’s agenda included the ACTO succession process and institutional strengthening; the approval of the Strategy for a Sustainable Economy in the Amazon; the revision of the Amazonian Strategic Cooperation Agenda; and the establishment of the ACTO financial mechanism, among others.

EXPECTED RESULTS — The main results expected from the Bogotá Summit are as follows: final declaration, reiterating the commitment to Amazon cooperation and progress in the implementation of the Belém mandates; and declaration of support for the Brazilian initiative of the Tropical Forests Fund Forever (TFFF), to be launched during COP30. The Fund, proposed by Brazil, aims to ensure long-term resources to conserve rainforests, mobilizing public and private investments in a predictable and fair manner.