Brazil VP defends voice of Amazon countries before COP2

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Vice President Hamilton Mourão on Friday (8) defended the need for Amazon countries to have a “clear and coherent” voice before the United Nations climate conference, known as COP26, which begins later this month in Glasgow, Scotland.

Mourão argued that it is necessary to oppose the attempt to transfer to the nations that cover the biome the responsibility to combat climate change.

“As the conference on climate change and biodiversity approaches, and in the face of pressures without scientific basis that unduly seeks to transfer to our countries the responsibility for the actions necessary to reverse the harmful processes of climate change and biodiversity loss, we must articulate and unite so that the voice of developing countries, particularly ours, Amazonian ones, is heard clearly and coherently,” he said.

“More than any other group of countries, we are committed to the welfare of the entire Amazonian population, from indigenous and traditional communities to urban workers, from family farmers to entrepreneurs and industrialists. Let us reinforce our common determination and our sustainable development objectives,” he added.

The vice-president’s statements were made during a virtual meeting of the III Presidential Summit for the Amazon. At the summit, the speech of most countries was made by the president of the country.

Mourão, who is the coordinator of the National Council for the Amazon and represented President Jair Bolsonaro, said that it is essential to strengthening the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) and praised what he considers “many results” that Brazil has to present, citing preliminary data that show a reduction in deforestation in the Amazon and also in forest fires.

According to Mourão, the data are the result of the council’s reactivation and the operations of the Law and Order Guarantee that have employed thousands of civilians and military personnel in the fight against environmental crimes in the region.

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