Amazonia Year - Guyana Tourism Authority

Overview
Secretary-General presents
achievements of three years in office
Newsletter
ACTO
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
2009
Year III - Nr. 11 - January/April 2007
Destination
Amazonia Year
ACTO launches project to promote sustainable tourism in the Amazon
Biodiversity
Workshops discuss the situation of
the Member States on the subject
Science and Technology
ACTO promotes Meeting of Ministers
in November in Venezuela

2
Index
Interview: Carlos Nobre 3
Climatologist alerts to the risks
of global warming
Destination Amazonia 4 and 5
New project promotes sustainable
tourism in the region
Secretary-General’s
Time in Office
6 and 7
Overview of initiatives and activities
executed between 2004 and 2007
Biodiversity
8
Program holds workshops
in five Member States
Science and Technology 9
Ministerial summit will be
held in Venezuela
Forum on Forests
9
Meeting discusses international
forest management agreement
Cooperation
10
Two new projects
being developed
Article: Jannette Aguirre 12
Intersectoral policies:
a necessity in the Amazon
Newsletter
ACTO
Amazoo Cooperation Treaty Organization
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
Permanent Secretariat (PS/ACTO)
Secretary-General
Rosalía Arteaga Serrano
Executive Director
Francisco José Ruiz M.
Administrative Director
Flávio Sottomayor
Environment Coordinator
Luis Oliveros
Health Coordinator
Jannette Aguirre
Science, Technology and Education Coordinator
Alirio Martínez
Infrastructure, Tourism, Transport and
Communication Coordinator
Donald Sinclair
Indigenous Affairs Coordinator
Jan Fernando Tawjoeram
Newsletter
Journalist in Charge
Sandra Lefcovich
Communication Intern
Flávio Forini
Texts
Ciléia Pontes, Sandra Lefcovich
and Leandro Ramos
Translation
Antônio Ribeiro de Azevedo
and Cecile Vossenaar (English)
Jan Fernando Tawjoeram (Dutch)
Graphic Art
TDA Desenho & Arte
www.tdabrasil.com.br
Cover Picture
Sérgio Amaral/ACTO
Address
SHIS QI 5 Conj. 16 Casa 21
Lago Sul CEP 71615-160
Brasilia (DF) Brazil
Phone: (55 61) 3248 4119/4132
Fax: (55 61) 3248 4238
www.otca.info
Send your letters, suggestions
and comments to:
newsletter@otca.info
ACTO
Letter
from the Secretary-General
During my years as Secretary-General of ACTO, the Organization
presented the public with eleven issues of its newsletter. Through these
issues, we have kept a continually increasing population in the eight Member
States and throughout the world informed of the various actions and work
consolidated by us as an organization as well of the achievements of our
close allies in this vast territory in which it has been our responsibility to act,
namely, in the Amazon basin and in the Amazonian biome.
In this issue of our bulletin we will therefore share with you a number
of efforts and achievements that exemplify the various aspects of our work,
among them: the project “2009: Destination Amazonia Year”, the ACTO
Biodiversity Program workshops, the presence of the Organization in the
UNFF7, and the many new projects we have begun. I also avail myself of the
opportunity to take leave of our many readers, who have come to know us
through these pages and through their online version.
These are my last days ahead of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty
Organization. During my time in office, the young Organization born of
the 1978 Treaty became an institution and gained substantial visibility
both in the South American context and throughout the world. ACTO built
countless alliances during the period which led to the consolidation of 19
projects which are currently being carried out in the region. The successful
implementation of these projects proves not only the integrating vocation
of the Organization, but also its concrete capacity to manage its resources
and achieve tangible results.
After three years of work, we hand over a solid, participant, active and
vibrant Organization that has established its presence in the various spheres
determined by its 2004-2012 Strategic Plan, a plan that has become ACTO’s
“Navigation Map” and that I have no doubt will continue to guide its actions
for years to come.
It will be up to those who take the lead in the struggle to protect the
environment within the paradigm of sustainable development in the vast
Amazon region to consolidate the many achievements of ACTO, guiding
the Organization, with the much needed support of the countries, towards
even more protagonist roles in the service of the peoples of the region.
Rosalía Arteaga Serrano

Interview
Carlos Nobre
What is the role of the Continental Amazon
in the process of global warming? Is
the rainforest a victim or is it actually contributing
to the increased temperatures
across the planet?
Deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon
send hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere every year, thus
contributing to global warming. The agroecosystems
(particularly agriculture and pastures)
that occupy what had previously been tropical
rainforest store less than 10% of the amount
of carbon than would have been stored in their
original forest biomass.
On the other hand, the fact that global
temperatures continue to rise poses serious
challenges for the maintenance of the Amazonian
rainforest and condemns a great number of
plant and animal species to extinction.
How serious is the phenomenon of
global warming nowadays?
Global warming represents bad news for
the tropical regions of the planet and their ecosystems.
The temperature in the Amazon has
already increased by approximately 0.8ºC in
the last 50 years. It is possible that, except for
studies on the possible expansion of lianas in
Western Amazon, the precise impact of global
warming has not been adequately established
due to the lack of detailed studies of ecosystems
covering various decades of observation. Nevertheless,
for the mountain forests of Central
America, a 1ºC increase in temperature between
at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 meters resulted in
the extinction of more than 70 species of frogs
of the Atelopus genus due to a complex interaction
between the microclimate and a type of
hide fungus on the skin of these amphibians. On
the other hand, for reasons not yet totally understood,
the undisturbed forests of the Amazon
seem to be turning the region into a sink for the
excess of CO2 in the atmosphere. In this sense,
they are rendering an important environmental
service. Even though the assimilation of carbon
is relatively small per hectare when compared
to the amount of biomass, the extension of the
Amazonian rainforest makes this function very
important for the global carbon balance.
How will global warming present itself
in the Amazon? What do the studies say
about the so-called “savannization” of the
Amazon rainforest?
The increased temperature can, by and of
itself, intensify the degree of water evaporation
and plant transpiration, thus reducing the availability
of water in the soil. In other words, the dry
season can become longer in those regions of
the Amazon where it is already accentuated like
the Midwest. This trend would point towards the
“savannization” of those areas: the climate would
come to favor the existence of typical tropical savannah
vegetation. Global warming, together
with the disturbances produced by deforestation
and by the growing incidence of forest fires (as a
result of forest fragmentation and the intensive
and inadequate use of fire in agriculture and animal
husbandry) causes a tremendous increase in
the risk of savannization. What’s more: the type
of savannah vegetation that would substitute
the rainforest would be very different from the
abundant vegetation of the region known in Central
Brazil as “Cerrado”. It would be a savannah
striped clean of its biodiversity and biomass.
According to you, the glaciers of the
tropical Andes might disappear between
2030 and 2050. What consequences does
the melting of the glaciers have in the water
cycle of the Amazon river basin?
The melting of the Andean glaciers will not
really be very significant for the Amazon River.
Even if the glaciers disappeared altogether due
to global warming, the effect on river discharge
would be very restricted and would possibly not
be felt in the river mouth. The small rivers of the
Andes would nevertheless be deeply affected
in their hydrological regimes if the streamflow
caused by the thaw of the warmest season of the
year were to stop. This would have an ecological
impact on the regions and would affect the water
supply and the supply of hydroelectric power.
What is your opinion about the public
policies of the Amazonian countries that
seek to respond to the problems resulting
from global warming?
The subject has only recently begun to be
debated with the seriousness and concern
that it deserves. I don’t believe that the Amazon
countries have so far implemented public
policies to respond to the impacts of climate
change. Priority has to a large extent been given
to policies for the mitigation of emissions so as
to counter the risk a more accentuated warming
in the future. One example of this is the decrease
in the rate of deforestation of the tropical rain-
January/April 2007
The researcher of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) and member of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) speaks about the Amazon and global warming
forest observed in Brazil in 2005 and 2006. In
spite of this, there are still no policies in place
to ensure adaptation to the already inevitable
effects of climate change. The most positive scenario
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
change (IPCC) estimates an increase of at least
2ºC by the end of the century. Even this level of
warming would impose changes in biodiversity
conservation policies, for example, as countless
species are already notably endangered.
What would be the role of an organization
such as ACTO in the fight against
global warming?
The best strategy that can possibly be implemented
in the Amazon to counter climate change
consists in the appropriate combination of mitigation
and adaptation. The more extensive and
preserved the Amazonian ecosystems, the greater
their intrinsic capacity to stand up to climate
change and preserve their integrity and the environmental
services they provide. The fact that
some degree of climate change is inevitable, on
the other hand, makes it necessary to implement
adaptation mechanisms in a coordinated manner,
particularly regarding such activities as: agriculture,
navigation, fishery resources, ecotourism,
renewable energy sources, cities, and the one
that presents the most difficulties, biodiversity.
The more integrated the initiative of the Amazon
countries, the greater its probability of success.
Before anything else, however, it is essential that
we develop an in-depth study of the impacts of
climate change in all the sectors and systems of
the Amazon, both natural and anthropogenic.
Only then will we be able to signal the most critical
vulnerable areas of the region. This is an area
in which ACTO can play a very important role.
3
Inpe

4
ACTO
Celebrating the Amazon
2009, year of the Amazon
ACTO launches the project “Destination Amazonia Year”, aimed at placing the Amazon region i
In 2009, no tourism destination will be
as important as the Amazon. That is what
the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
(ACTO) hopes to achieve through the
“Destination Amazonia Year”, a project
developed to coordinate actions and programs
with a view to raising the profile of
the region in the world tourism market.
By launching this initiative, ACTO intends
to accelerate the development of
sustainable tourism in the Amazon as well
as to increase the population’s awareness
of the importance of regional resources in
the promotion of sustainability.
In spite of being the most varied ecosystem
in the world and home to rich traditional
cultures, the Amazon doesn’t hold
an important position among the travel
itineraries chosen by international
tourists or even by those coming
from other parts of the Amazonian
countries.
“The word ‘Amazon’
echoes with tremen-
dous power throughout the world. Even so,
the region is still very little understood or
known in the world tourism sector. That’s
what ACTO intends to change”, explains
the Coordinator for Transportation, Infrastructure,
Communications and Tourism ,
Donald Sinclair.
Starting in May, Mr. Sinclair intends to
visit the Member States of the Organization
in order to present the project, meet
with key actors of the area, and establish
strategic partnerships.
The project consists of developing and
implementing initiatives that reinforce the
tourism potential of the Amazon while at
the same time establishing the bases for
the sustainable development of the activity
in the region.
Among the actions planned within the
project are: defining guidelines for sustainable
tourism in the Amazon, promoting the
region at world travel fairs and conferences,
establishing an events calendar for
2009 – including conferences, fairs and expeditions,
among others – and forming a a
regional action group that will advance the
coordination of tourism initiatives.
ACTO will gather information relating
to the Amazonian territory of each Member
State as well as the tourism challenges
and prospects facing each. This will serve
as baseline information for the design of
future projects in tourism. The Organization
will also prepare an inventory
of Amazonian attractions, as
well as a list of people, companies,
organizations and
communities currently
The Amazon region is rich in biodiversity
Ver-o-Peso Market, in Belem, Brazil
working with tourism in the region. ACTO
will furthermore carry out an opinion survey
to determine how the Amazon is seen
in the international market.
“What we have in mind is to call attention
to the diversity of the Amazon. We
want to establish joint tourism destinations
among the eight countries”, explains ACTO
Secretary-General Rosalía Arteaga. She believes
the project is extremely relevant, as
Amazonian tourism tends to foster the creation
of jobs and improve the quality of life
of the local population.
ACTO Coordinator for Tourism agrees.
“The ‘Destination Amazonia Year’ will be the
first regional campaign of this nature to celebrate
the Amazon region while at the same
time seeking to create better conditions for
its future development”, declares Donald
Sinclair. As he sees it, both aspects – celebration
and development – have the goal of
creating a more positive view of the Amazon
as a tourism destination, helping to
dissipate negative views on the region.
“Let us plan to celebrate and plan as
we celebrate”, he concludes.

in the world of tourism
n in the spotlight of the international market and promoting sustainable tourism
Composition Contest
One of the activities planned for the “Destination
Amazonia Year” is a composition
contest for Amazonian students. According
to Coordinator Donald Sinclair, the youngsters
will receive the task of inviting someone
from another country to visit the region.
One composition will be selected for
each Amazonian country. ACTO will then
choose one of the eight compositions to
become the official invitation for the “Destination
Amazonia Year”. The prize for the
winners is still to be defined by the project’s
coordinating team.
Dimensions of the Amazon
With a population of approximately 30
million people, the Continental Amazon extends
through 7.5 million square kilometers
of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,
Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
The Amazonian biome occupies nearly
40% of the territory of South America in an
“Mangal das Garças”, in Belem, Brazil
Indigenous of the Dessana people
Photos: Sérgio Amaral/ACTO
Pictures: Sérgio Amaral/ACTO
Sunset at the Napo River, in Ecuador
area as beautiful as it is challenging. Home
to thousands of species of fauna and flora,
the Amazon is an incomparable tourism
attrac tion. Despite its enormous ecological
and adventure tourism potential, the region
attrac ts comparatively few visitors. Although
a number of Amazonian countries register an
intense flow of tourists, the most sought out
destinations are beaches and urban tourism
centers.
The relatively small number of visitors
contrasts with statistics that point to a
growing interest in “nature tourism”. This
new direction of the tourism market is exemplified
by the growing number of visitors
that choose unknown or relatively unheard
of destinations. In these locations travelers
not only discover breathtaking ecosystems
and natural attractions, but have contact
with different cultures and lifestyles capable
of leading to unique personal experiences.
January/April 2007
5
Meeting of Ministers of
Tourism in Berlin
The “Destination Amazonia Year” was
one of the topics discussed by ACTO at
the Meeting of Ministers and High Level
Authorities of Tourism held on 11 March
in Berlin, Germany. On the occasion, the
Secretary-General reinforced the need to
discuss sustainable tourism projects in
the region as a mean to strengthen the
regional integration process.
Present at the meeting were: the
Minister of Tourism of Ecuador and
the Vice-Minister of Tourism of Peru,
the Ambassadors of Brazil, Colombia,
Bolivia and Ecuador to Germany, and
repre sentatives of the World Tourism
Organiza tion and of the Regional Program
ACTO Amazon, of the German
Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

6
Overview
ACTO
Three years in favor of the integra
Secretary-General takes leave after fulfilling her mandate. During her ti
ACTO, sought consensuses and common policies between the Member
The last three years constituted a period of
important achievements for the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization (ACTO). Guided
by its search for regional integration and sustainable
development, the ACTO Permanent
Secretariat, led by its Secretary-General, Rosalía
Arteaga, worked hard to fulfill the mandates
received from its eight Member States
– Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,
Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
“Ever since I took office, I have concentrated
my efforts in making our Organization not only
the catalyst of the solution to the problems
that afflict the Amazon region, but an example
to the rest of the world”, affirms Arteaga, who
took the position in May 2004 and will finish
her time in office in June 2007.
During her administration, the Secretary-
General defended that the Continental Amazon
should become the most idoneous place
possible to promote regional integration. This
is because in spite of representing nearly 40%
of the South American territory and 20% of
the world’s fresh water reserves, among other
Directors, coordinators, employers and collaborators of ACTO’s Permanent Secretariat
riches, the region has been treated as peripherical
by the countries to which it belongs.
The first stage of this process consisted
in building the institutionality of ACTO. The
headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat
(PS) was inaugurated in January 2005,
after functioning in the Brazilian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs since its establishment in
2003. Besides it, the organizational chart
defined by the Member States was filled. In
addition to the Administrative and Executive
Directors, there are currently fiver area coordinators
in office. The PS has representatives
of the eight countries working on the most
rele vant Amazonian themes. It also increased
the number of employees and collaborators.
None of this would be possible without the
effort made by the governments of the Member
States to pay their respective contributions.
It is a clear demonstration of their commitment
to the development and full functioning of the
Secretariat. Between 2003 and 2006, 90% of
the contributions were paid.
Strengthening
The Organization promoted three summits
of Ministers of Foreign Affairs between
2004 and 2007 with a view to strengthening
the spheres of the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty (ACT). These meetings clearly demonstrate
the dynamic quality of the Organization,
as in 23 years only seven meetings had been
convened. The summits took place in Manaus
in 2004 – when the 2004-2012 Strategic
Plan was approved – and in Iquitos in 2005.
A working breakfast was also held in Cochabamba
in 2006.
Other meetings were convened: the Amazon
Cooperation Council (CCA), formed by
high level diplomatic representatives, held five
meetings; the Coordinating Commission of the
Amazon Cooperation Council (CCOOR) held
thirty meetings; and the Permanent National
Commissions (PNCs) held three meetings, two
in Brasilia and one in Georgetown.
“As the only international organization
having received a specific mandate of the

ation of the Continental Amazon
time in office, Rosalía Arteaga promoted the institutionality of
er States and catalyzed efforts in regional projects and initiatives
eight Amazonian countries to defend the
rainforest and the basin as a whole, ACTO has
assumed a role of coordination between the
Governments. We have sought to respond to
the challenges presented by the social and
environmental reality of this vast region”, declares
the Secretary-General. “We can say that
it is our mission to transform threats into opportunities”,
she summarizes.
ACTO has exercised a role of promoter and
catalyst of efforts and common policies and
has sought to develop technical and financial
mechanisms throughout the region. Taking
this into account, it is important to point out
that the main contribution of the Organization
is based on the fact that its structure leads
to the consensual solution of the problems
shared by the Amazonian countries.
Nineteen projects were launched in the
region together with other organizations,
mobilizing technical and financial resources
to the order of over US$ 33 million towards
the region (see graph). The areas covered by
the programs include: environment, health,
Approximately 150 guests, between members
of the government, ambassadors, diplomats,
representatives of international organizations and
NGOs, and employees of ACTO, participated in
the launching of the Management Report “Integrating
the Continental Amazon”. The event took
place on the first day of March, at the headquarters
of the Organization’s Permanent Secretariat.
water resources, biodiversity, forest management,
tourism, science and technology, and
indigenous affairs, among others.
In addition, six meetings of Ministers and
high level sectoral authorities were convened
Mobilized Resources
US$ MILLION
ACTO launches Management Report
0,98
5,04
33,16* 33,16 *
2004 2005 2006/2007
* US$ 6,82 million in projects under negotiation
The publication, an overview of the work
developed by ACTO from November 2005 to
October 2006, was presented by the Secretary-
General Rosalía Arteaga. In her speech, she
warned that in order for us to achieve a present
full of accomplishments and a promising future,
we must always look to the roads trailed,
the challenges attained, the sum of activities
developed and the circle of alliances built; only
then will the reports be justified.
“With the support of our Member States
and the cooperation of our allies, we have
managed to overcome many challenges and
to make important progress as an Organization
that grows stronger and more capable of
accomplishing its mission: promoting sustainable
development, overcoming poverty and
improving the quality of life of the people
who inhabit this vast, beautiful and fragile
Amazon”, she affirmed.
January/April 2007
7
in the following areas: industrial and intellectual
property, science and technology, health and
social protection, environment, defense and
integral security and tourism. “These occasions
represented and opportunity for the Ministers
to debate common themes and seek points
of regional convergence in extremely relevant
areas ”, affirms the Secretary-General.
In terms of political dialogue and search
for regional consensuses, the task was accomplished
in several areas. In order to position
ACTO as an organization of regional importance
and give voice to the Amazon, the Organization
participated in the establishment
of the Union of South American Nations (Unisur).
In addition, ACTO signed agreements
with more than 20 international, regional and
United Nations cooperation agencies, among
others.
“ACTO must be the best tool there is to
preserve the sustainability of the Amazon
and improve the quality of life of its population”,
concluded the Secretary-General,
remembering the principles of the Treaty.
The ambassador of Bolivia and at the time
president of the Coordinating Commission of
the Amazon Cooperation Council (CCOOR), Felipe
Tredinnick, complimented the role played by
ACTO in favor of the integration of Continental
Amazon, and reminded those present that in
spite of being small, the Organization takes care
of an extensive territory: “The work developed by
ACTO is admirable”, he said.
Directors of ACTO, ambassador of Bolivia and
Secretary-General

8
Program
Workshops discuss reports on biodiversity
During the last three months, ACTO held
workshops in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana
and Peru in order to validate the studies developed
by national consultants on the situation of
biological diversity in each country. The studies
are part of the Program for the Strengthening of
Joint Regional Management for the Sus tainable
Use of Amazonian Biodiversity.
The first studies presented reveal that the
management and protection of Amazonian
biodiversity poses countless challenges. According
to the coordinator of the Program, Carlos
Salinas, the reports confirm the rich biodiversity
of the region and the various perspectives
on the topic. They also point the varying
needs of the region. “The Amazon region is
as complex as it is heterogeneous. The realities
of the countries are extremely different ”,
he declares.
Salinas further points out that in spite of
the differences, many problems are common
to the whole region. Some examples of shared
problems include biopiracy, deforestation, illegal
logging and poverty of local populations.
“On the whole, the eight countries need to find
alternatives for the sustainable exploitation of
the forests. They need to ensure not only the
livelihoods of local communities, but also their
economic development”, he emphasizes.
Activities
What have we done
ACTO
Proposals presented during the meetings will be incorporated into Regional Plan of Action
Visit
The new ambassador of Bolivia to Brazil, Felipe
Tredinnick, visited the headquarters of the ACTO Permanent
Secretariat on January 10. The ambassador
was received by Secretary-General Rosalía Arteaga
and by the Executive Director, Francisco Ruiz.
The reports presented so far by the national
consultants are currently being revised
to incorporate the changes and suggestions
made during the national workshops. The
studies will be ready by mid-June.
The meetings also represented an opportunity
for the regional consultants of the Program
to present their proposals on a number
of topics related to biodiversity – wildlife
traffi cking, intellectual property rights, access
to traditional knowledge, science and technology,
and management of conservation in
situ, among others. These proposals will be
incorporated into the Regional Plan of Action
for the Amazonian Biodiversity (to be concluded
in 2008) and may be used to guide the
formulation of public policies for the manage-
Tarapoto, Peru, on April 2-3Bogotá, Colombia, on April 16-17
Georgetown, Guyana, on March 12-13Francisco Orellana, Ecuador, on March 19-20
Cooperation in Health
The Coordinator for Health, Jannette Aguirre, took part
in the Third Meeting for International Cooperation in Health
held on January 8-9, in Santiago (Chile). The meeting discussed
the construction of a regional health agenda.
Presidential Inaugural Ceremony
The Secretary-General was in Quito (Ecuador) on
January 15 for the inauguration the Ecuadorian President-elect
Rafael Correa.
HIV/AIDS
The Coordinator for Health took part in the Sub-regional
ment of the Amazonian biodiversity.
After the workshops are held in the remaining
Member States – Brazil, Suriname
and Venezuela – regional proposals for biodiversity
management will be presented on
each topic. These results will also become
part of the Plan of Action.
With the financial support of the Interamerican
Development Bank (IDB), the ACTO
Biodiversity Program aims to coordinate and
foster the acquisition of knowledge on Amazonian
biodiversity and its various potential
uses. The program will offer support for conservation
and sustainable exploitation tasks
that benefit all the countries of the region,
and that require transboundary collaboration
to be performed.
La Paz, Bolivia, on April 26-27
Meeting on HIV/AIDS “For a Multisectorial Strategic
Plan” held on January 29-31 in Bogotá (Colombia).
Environment
The Secretary-General took part in the international
environmental conference “Citizen of the
Earth” held on February 2-3 in Paris (France).
Farewell
The former Ambassador of Suriname to Brazil,
Sonny Hira, was honored with a farewell ceremony
held on February 6, at the headquarters of the Permanent
Secretariat.

Science and Technology
ACTO prepares Meeting of Ministers
Summit will be held in Caracas in November, preceded by an international Amazonian meeting
The Coordinating Office for Science, Technology
and Education of ACTO has many
plans for the coming months. Among the activities
anticipated by the Coordinator of the
area, Alirio Martínez, there is the 2 nd Meeting
of Ministers and High Level Authorities of
Science and Technology of ACTO Member
States, to be held in Venezuela, by the end
of November.
“We intend to encourage the countries
to reflect on science and technology issues
based on a continental view of the Amazon
region”, explains Martínez.
The 2 nd Meeting of Ministers and High
Level Authorities of Science and Technology
Negotiation
Visit to Venezuela
The Secretary-General met with Venezuelan authorities
and signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Latin American Organization of Intermediate
Governments (OLAGI) on February 8 in Caracas (Venezuela).
Presentation at the OAS
The Secretary-General spoke about the main
institutional aspects of ACTO in an Extraordinary
Session of the Organization of American States
(OAS) held on February 23 in Washington (United
States of America).
will bring together key-actors of the sector
with a view to defining the main strategic
lines that will guide the work of the Organization
on the topic.
Prior to the summit, ACTO will carry out
an international Amazonian meeting with
representatives of the eight countries in Venezuela.
The occasion will serve as an opportunity
to elaborate the thematic agenda for
the Ministerial Meeting, as well as a regional
agenda to coordinate the actions of the
various Amazonian States.
Coordination with Unamaz
A meeting between representatives of
Rio Group
The Secretary-General attended the 19 th Rio Group
Summit held on March 2-3 in Georgetown (Guyana).
Seminar in Canada
The Executive Director attended the international
symposium “Our common ground”, held by
the University of British Columbia, together with
WWF, on May 7- 9, in Vancouver (Canada).
Epidemiological Surveillance
The Coordinator for Health attended the 6 th
Andean Forum of Epidemiological Surveillance and
the Association of Amazonian Universities
(Unamaz) and ACTO will be held at the
headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat
in Brasilia on May 23-25. The meeting is
expected to lead to the elaboration of recommendations
and actions to promote the institutional
strengthening of Unamaz.
It will furthermore represent an opportunity
to exchange opinions and experiences
regarding present and future challenges for
Amazonian universities. These discussions
may result in the first volume of the series of
journals entitled “Political and Scientific Dialogues
of the Amazon”, to be published by
ACTO before the year is over.
ACTO attends the United Nations Forum on Forests
Meeting in New York discusses international forest management agreement
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
(ACTO) took part in the activities of the
Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum
on Forests (UNFF) held on April 16-27 in New
York. It was the third time that the Organization
– formed by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela
– participated in the main international
forest management sphere.
The most important points debated during
the event were the approval of the Non-Legally
Binding Instrument (NLBI) – an international
agreement for the sustainable management of
all types of forests – and the definition of the
UNFF Multi-Year Programme of Work (MYPOW).
“This opens interesting work possibilities
for countries with an important forest heritage
and for regional organizations that,
like ACTO, promote the sustainable development
of the Amazon region”, declares
ACTO Coordinator for the Environment Luis
Oliveros, who together with Executive Director
Francisco Ruiz represented the Organization
in the UNFF7.
The position of the Amazonian countries
on the topics debated in the forum was discussed
and generally harmonized in a preparatory
meeting held on March 27-28 in Bogotá,
Colombia. The event was organized by
ACTO together with the Ministries of External
January/April 2007
Relations and Environment, Housing and Territorial
Development of Colombia.
Health in Frontier Areas, on March 7-9 in Lima (Peru).
Indigenous Affairs
The Coordinator for Indigenous Affairs, Jan Tawjoeram,
met with representatives of the Coordination of the Indigenous
Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) on March 14.
Amazonian University
The prefecto of the Ecuadorian province of Morona
Santiago, Jaime Mejía Reinoso, visited ACTO on March 20,
to present the book “The Amazonian University: Decentralizing
Knowledge” and the project for the development of a
Global Amazonian University, both of his authorship.
9
Sérgio Amaral/ACTO

10
Support
Dinah Feitoza/ACTO
ACTO develops cooperation program
Initiative financed by Germany and the Netherlands will strengthen the execution of Strategic Plan
ACTO Secretary-General, Director of DGIS and
Director of BMZ
ACTO
The Director of the South American Division
of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ) Dorothea
Groth and the Director General of the Environment
and Water Department of the Dutch
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) Hans Wessels
visited Brasilia on January 30 to participate in
working meetings at the headquarters of the
ACTO Permanent Secretariat.
The main goal of their visit consisted of
taking part in the first meeting of the Inter-
ACTO counts with another ally in its quest to
ensure the sustainable development of the
Amazonian ecosystem. The program “Institutional
Strengthening and Support to the
ACTO Plan of Action”, a partnership between
the Organization and the Gordon & Betty
Integration in Health
The Coordinator for Health discussed integration
processes in the area of health in South
America during the 28 th Meeting of Ministers of
Health of the Andean Region (REMSAA), held on
March 29-30 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia).
national Cooperation Program “Sustainable
use and conservation of forests and biodiversity
in the Amazon region” (ACTO-DGIS-GTZ
Amazon Program). ACTO Secretary-General
Rosalía Arteaga, Executive Director Francisco
Ruiz and the coordinator of the Program,
Gunter Simon, participated in the event.
The program, which will have a five-year
duration and mobilize resources to the order
of circa 13 million dollars, is a joint initiative
of the Dutch and German Governments that
has the goal of supporting ACTO in the implementation
of its 2004-2012 Strategic Plan.
The project has four middle range objectives:
conservation and sustainable use of
natural resources; regional integration and
competitiveness; institutional strengthening;
and knowledge management and technological
exchange. In the long range, the project
intends: to make it possible for the population
to benefit from the economic potential
of the environment within the framework
of sustainable use; to ensure the sustainable
Danielle Mitterrand at ACTO
ACTO received the visit of Danielle Mitterrand
on March 29. The President of the France Libertés
Foundation and former first lady of France presented
the project “New Indicators for True Wealth” and
proposed a partnership with ACTO.
Social movements
The Secretary-General of the Amazonian
Working Group (GTA), Adilson Vieira, the President
of the National Council of Rubber Tappers of Brazil
development of the region by preserving its
forests and biodiversity; and safeguard key
regulatory functions in relation to water and
climate balance.
Agreement
The first agreement of the ACTO-DGIS-
GTZ Amazon Program was signed on May
21. The agreement “Sustainable forest
management in native forests and legal
timber supply chains in the mid South of
the Ecuadorian Amazon” aims to reduce
illegal logging in Ecuador and to promote
sustainable forest management in the
communities that form the Shuar Arutam
Governing Council (CGSHA).
The Secretary-General of ACTO Rosalía
Arteaga and the coordinator of the
Program Gunter Simon took part in the
signature ceremony that was held in the
city of Macas, capital of the Ecuadorian
province of Morona Santiago.
New partnership in favor of the Amazon
ACTO begins the implementation of project supported by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation
Activities
What we have done
Moore Foundation (GBMF), has begun to be
implemented in 2007.
The ACTO-GBMF Project will be executed
for a period of three years and involves resources
of approximately US$ 2 million. The
main objectives of the initiative are: to sup-
port conservation and sustainable development
actions promoted by ACTO; increase
its institutional capacity to lead this process;
network appropriately with key actors; and
successfully disseminate their progress and
results.
(CNS), Manuel Silva da Cunha, and Cíntia Leandro
of the National GTA, were received by the Secretary-General
on March 30 at the headquarters of
the Permanent Secretariat.
Meeting
The Coordinator for Science, Technology and
Education, Alirio Martínez, met with the Executive
Secretary of the National Council of State Secretaries
for Science, Technology and Innovation (Consecti),
Alberto Peverati Filho, on April 2.

ACTO in het nederlands
De Organisatie van de Overeenkomst
voor amazonische samenwerking
Een algemeen beeld van de laatste activiteiten mbt de projecten die tot nu toe
ontwikkeld en uitgevoerd zijn door de ACTO. Sowieso ten voordele van de duurzame
ontwikkeling van de amazone regio
“Destination Amazonia” (zie: pag. 04 en 05)
De ACTO heeft het jaar 2009 uitgeroepen
tot “the destination Amazonia year”. Deze
actie heeft als doel, acties en programma’s te
bevorderen en te coordineren om zodoende
de regio beter aan te stippen op de wereldtoeristisch-markt.
Middels dit initiatief, wil de ACTO duurzame
toerisme bevorderen, evenals het verhogen
van de “awareness” van de bevolking mbt de
belangrijkheid van de regionale hulpbronnen.
Evaluatie van het Mandaat van de
Secretaris-generaal (zie: pag. 06 en 07)
De Secretaries-generaal van de ACTO, Dra.
Rosalía Arteaga Serrano beëindigt haar werkzaamheden
aan het eind van de maand juni
2007, na drie jaren leiding te hebben gegeven
aan de ACTO. Het is een periode geweest van
belangrijke successen voor de organisatie, in het
kader van het streven naar regionale integratie
en duurzame ontwikkeling. Vanaf 2004, heeft
de ACTO zich enorm ingezet teneinde het mandaat
te volbrengen welke is toegekend door de
lidlanden: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana, Peru, Suriname en Venezuela.
Bio-diversiteit (zie: pag. 08)
In de afgelopen drie maanden, organiseerde
Puembo Initiative
The Coordinator for the Environment, Luis Oliveros,
took part in a meeting of the Puembo Initiative
held on April 11-12 in Montevideo (Uruguay).
CATIE
The Secretary-General participated for the first
time in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the
Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education
Center (Catie), to which she was elected in 2006,
on April 16-18.
de ACTO workshops in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana and Peru met betrekking tot het bespreken
van de studies die uitgevoerd zijn door
nationale consultants inzake de actuele situatie
van de biologische diversiteit.
Wetenschap en technologie (zie: pag. 09)
De coordinatie-unit van de ACTO voor wetenschap,
technologie en educatie, is thans
bezig een vergadering van ministers en hoog
geplaatse autoriteiten inzake wetenschap en
technologie, te organiseren, welke plaats zal
vinden in de maand november a.s., in Caracas,
Venezuela. Voorafgaand aan de top-ontmoeting,
zal de ACTO een interrnationale meeting
organiseren met representanten van de acht lidlanden
van de ACTO, eveneens in Venezuela.
Forum inzake bossen (zie: pag. 09)
De ACTO nam deel aan de zevende sessie
van de UNFF, een forum van de Verenigde Naties
omtrent bossen, op 16-27 april 2007 j.l. in
New York. De meest belangrijke punten welke
besproken werden tijdens deze sessie betreft de
goedkeuring van de Non-legally Binding Instrument
(NLBI) - een internationale overeenkomst
inzake het duurzaam beheer van alle type bossen
, en - de definitie van de “UNFF Multi-year
programme of work (MYPOW)”.
Trip to Suriname
The Coordinator for Indigenous Affairs went
to Suriname on April 14, where he met with
representatives of the government and of indigenous
organizations of the country.
Parlamaz
ACTO Chief of Cabinet Belisário Arce took
part in the Ordinary Meeting of the Amazonian
Parliament held on April 25-26 in Cobija
(Bolivia).
January/April 2007
11
Internationale samenwerking (zie: pag. 10)
De eerste vergadering van het Internationale
samenwerkings programma genaamd
“sustainable use and conservation of forests
and biodiversity in the amazon region” (ACTO-
DGIS-GTZ amazon program) werd gehouden
in Brasilia, op 30 Januari 2007. Dit programma
heeft een looptijd van vijf jaren en zal in totaal
een bedrag van 13 miljoen Amerikaanse dollars
aan fondsen mobiliseren. Dit initiatief is een
gezamenlijke initiatief van de Nederlandse en
de Duitse overheid en heeft ten doel de ACTO
te ondersteunen bij de implementatie van haar
2004-2012 strategisch plan.
Nieuwe alliantie (zie: pag. 10)
Vanaf de maand januari 2007, heeft de
ACTO gewerkt aan het ontwikkelen van het
project genaamd “institutionele versterking
en ondersteuning van het actie-plan van de
ACTO. Dit, met financiële ondersteuning
van de “Gordon en Betty Moore Foundation
(GBMF)”. Het is een initiatief met als doel, de
activiteiten van de ACTO te ondersteunen mbt
behoud en duurzame ontwikkeling van het
amazonische eco-systeem. Evenals het vergroten
van de institutionele capaciteit van de
organisatie, teneinde dit proces met success
te kunnen leiden.
Science and Technology
The Coordinator for Science, Technology and Education
participated in a meeting promoted by the
National Council of State Research Agencies (Confap)
and by the Consecti, held on April 27 in Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil).

Article
Intersectoral State Policies:
an Amazonian necessity
Jannette Aguirre*
Health should not be considered
an isolated element.
It is determined by economic,
political, cultural, social and
environmental factors, among
others. As such, the response
of the State to the problems
that arise in this area must be
endowed with strong political
will and commitment to ensure that intersectorality becomes part
of the institutional culture and occupy a central role in the formulation
of fair public policies. This, in turn, will make it possible to
improve the quality of life of the population at a faster pace.
The need to coordinate all sectors and levels of government in
order to respond to the difficulties of the population is even greater
in the Continental Amazon. The first reason for this is the strategic
importance of the biome, which contributes tremendously to the
ecosystemic balance and climate regulation of the planet. The Amazon
hosts approximately 20% of the world’s fresh water reserves
and 50% of its tropical forests, in addition to being home to one
quarter of the total biodiversity of the planet. As a matter of fact, it
is quite possible that the cure to countless diseases lies right in the
heart of the Amazon, just waiting to be discovered.
“The need to coordinate all sectors
and levels of government is even
greater in the Continental Amazon”
Unrestricted anthropogenic activity resulting from the irrational
exploitation of its resources has made evident the need to
promote the rational and sustainable development of the forest
through initiatives in various areas. This process, however, can only
truly advance if care is taken not to lose focus of a key element:
the human development of the Amazonian population. It is estimated
that there are currently 30 million men, women and children
living in the region, the great majority of which lack physical
and social infrastructure. These people face serious restrictions in
their access to health, basic sanitation, safe water, education and
information; living in constant risk of contracting infectious and
vectorial diseases, known as “traditional dangers”.
Even today, children die in a large part of the Amazon as a result
of respiratory illnesses, diarrheic diseases caused by parasites,
nutritional and dermatologic diseases resulting from contaminated
water, sequels of mercury contamination, among others. The areas
of the region covered by healthcare programs, both in terms of
prevention and of promotion of health, are very limited.
“The elaboration of an intersectoral
Amazonian agenda that serves the
interests of the State and of society is
an essential step to improve the social
capital of the region”
The health of the Amazonian population is also affected by the
so-called “modern dangers” associated to unsustainable development
and use of natural resources. These, more often than not,
lead to the contamination of water and land through chemical
agents, gas emissions and toxic waste build-up, among other factors
that endanger the systems on which life on Earth depends.
The achievement of human and sustainable development will
only be possible if we are able to overcome this reality. This will
demand synergetic initiatives in various fronts, in other words, the
intersectorality mentioned above. In the case of the Amazon, this
process must occur not only between the various sectors that act
in the region, but also between the eight countries that share it
– Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and
Venezuela. Amazonian challenges do not recognize frontiers and
must as such be met with regional strategies.
Today, climate change and the need to ensure food security
have made the need to implement joint actions more necessary
than ever. The promotion of joint environmental and
sanitary education actions throughout the region is of foremost
importance. No isolated effort can have the required
impact in the region.
The elaboration of an intersectoral Amazonian agenda that
serves the interests of the State and of society is an essential step
to improve the social capital of the region and the quality of life of
its population, thus advancing the sustainable development of the
largest tropical rainforest of the world. This will only be possible,
however, when governments, organizations and most importantly
the Amazonian population itself become aware of the importance
of this necessity.
* Health Coordinator of ACTO
Jannette Aguirre is the Health Coordinator of ACTO since November of
2005. She was born in La Paz, Bolivia. She is a surgeon doctor with a
Master’s Degree in Public Health. She worked in diverse regions of Bolivia for
the Ministry of Health and in many countries for the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO).