GEO Brasil - UNEP

The industrialised countries, where 19
percent of the world population is
located, accounts for 86 percent of
world production and consumption,
82 percent of the exports of goods
and services, 71 percent of world trade,
68 percent of direct foreign
investments, 74 percent of telephone
lines, 58 percent of all energy
produced, and 93.3 percent of Internet
users. Meanwhile, the 20 percent of
the poorest population accounts for 1
percent of the world production
planet’s, 1 percent of exports,
1percent of direct investment, and 1.5
percent of telephone lines (MMAA/
PNUD 2000).
In particula, in what refers to the
Amazon, Brazil has been the target of
world fear with respect to the
consequences of the changes in the
use of the earth. The Kyoto Protocol
establishes mechanisms, like the one
for clean development, by wich
industrialised countries will be able to
finance projects which may contribute
to the permanent reduction of
greenhousegases in other nations. .
2.2.1 Forests and Biodiversity
Aiming at biodiversity conservation,
the sustainable use of its components
and the fair and equal distribution of
the benefits derived from the use of
genetic resources, Brazil signed the
Biological Diversity Convention in
1992. This Convention establishes the
of a National Biodiversity Policy
(Provisional Measure No. 2,126/2001).
Also aiming at the contribution to the reduction of
deforestation, the Ministry for Land-related Matters has
issued a regulation prohibiting the dispossession of primary
forest areas for agrarian reform purposes in the Amazon
biome and in the Atlantic Forest.
Genetically Modified Organisms – OGM have been a n object
of intense debate within the scientific, environmental,
agroindustrial, industrial and international trade
communities.
Knowledge and income tend to
become more rapidly and acutely
concentrated than ever. According to
the previously mentioned UNDP
reports, “privatisation and
concentration of technology are
going too far. This has enabled
corporations to define research
agendas and strictly control their
findings. Poor people and poor
countries risk being pushed to the
margin in this proprietary regime
controlling the world’s knowledge.
The new technologies are priced for
those who can pay. Strict property
rights raise the price of technology
transfer, blocking the developing
countries from the dynamic
knowledge sectors.” According to
these reports the countries’ own
governance is at risk: “Governance
does not mean mere government. It
means the framework of rules,
The negotiation of a Protocol on Bio-
Security addressed to the Biological
Diversity Convention is in progress
and aims to establish an international
regime which regulates the
transboundary movement of these
organisms. Within Brazil this issue is
ruled by Law no. 8.974 and by Decree
no. 1.752, of 1995
In turn, the National Biosafity
Technical Commission – CTNBio,
formed by representatives from the
Health, Science and Technology,
Agriculture and Environment
ministries, and also by consumers,
workers, private sector and scientific
community, is in charge of examining
and approving any activity which may
involve experiments related to
genetically modified organisms.
2.2.2 Climatic Changes
institutions and established
The Vienna Convention for the
practices that set limits and give
Protection of the Ozone Layer
incentives for the behaviour of
stipulates Destructive Substance the
individuals, organisations and firms.
international co-operation for the
Without strong governance, the
development of research, the
dangers of global conflicts could be
exchange of information, the
a reality of the 21 st century - trade
establishing of monitoring systems
wars to promote national and
corporate interests, uncontrolled
and the formulation and
financial volatility setting off civil
conflicts, untamed global crime
infecting safe neighbourhoods and
criminalizing politics, business and
the police.”
implementation of measures of
effective control of problem causes.
The Montreal Protocol for Substances
which Destroy the Ozone Layer
foresees the protection of the ozone
layers by means of the adoption of
cautious measures in order to control, in an equitable way,
the global emissions of substances which may destroy the
ozone layer – Ozone Layer – SDO.
These international agreements, in turn, are related to the
Agenda 21 chapters dealing with international co-operation
in order to accelerate sustainable development and related
policies in developing countries. This includes protection of
the atmosphere, environmentally healthy technology transfer
co-operation and institutional strengthening (Synoptic
Picture 1).
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