Persaud appeals for cooperation to conserve tropical rainforests

Natural Resource and Environment Minister Robert Persaud has called for increased coordination and information sharing between various countries to conserve the world’s remaining tropical rainforests.
Persaud issued the appeal at the second meeting of Environment Ministers of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) recently held in Lima, Peru.

The forum featured environment ministers and representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Discussions were primarily focused on ACTO’s environmental agenda and opportunities for strengthened regional cooperation among Amazonian countries.
The agenda is expected to support Guyana and other member states in regional efforts to manage protected areas, strengthen forest management, develop options to address climate change, tackle illegal mining, and target the illegal trade in flora and fauna. The meeting also provided member states with the opportunity to identify common positions in the context of the upcoming conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+ 20) scheduled for June 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Minister Persaud reiterated the need for strengthened partnerships, both within the Amazon region and between the Amazon and the tropical rainforest basins in the Congo and Mekong/ Borneo regions.
Throughout the meeting, Guyana’s delegation also stressed the need to support the innovative initiatives being implemented by ACTO countries to conserve rainforests and other Amazonian ecosystems.
To this end, a call was made for the formulation of an international mechanism to provide consistent technical and financial support to forest conservation efforts. It is expected that the positions expressed by the Guyana delegation will be included in a Lima Declaration, which will be signed by all ACTO member countries. This declaration will serve as the basis for ACTO’s priorities going into the Rio+ 20 conference.
Natural Resource and Environment Minister Robert Persaud has called for increased coordination and information sharing between various countries to conserve the world’s remaining tropical rainforests.Persaud issued the appeal at the second meeting of Environment Ministers of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) recently held in Lima, Peru.The forum featured environment ministers and representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.Discussions were primarily focused on ACTO’s environmental agenda and opportunities for strengthened regional cooperation among Amazonian countries.The agenda is expected to support Guyana and other member states in regional efforts to manage protected areas, strengthen forest management, develop options to address climate change, tackle illegal mining, and target the illegal trade in flora and fauna. The meeting also provided member states with the opportunity to identify common positions in the context of the upcoming conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+ 20) scheduled for June 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Minister Persaud reiterated the need for strengthened partnerships, both within the Amazon region and between the Amazon and the tropical rainforest basins in the Congo and Mekong/ Borneo regions.Throughout the meeting, Guyana’s delegation also stressed the need to support the innovative initiatives being implemented by ACTO countries to conserve rainforests and other Amazonian ecosystems.To this end, a call was made for the formulation of an international mechanism to provide consistent technical and financial support to forest conservation efforts. It is expected that the positions expressed by the Guyana delegation will be included in a Lima Declaration, which will be signed by all ACTO member countries. This declaration will serve as the basis for ACTO’s priorities going into the Rio+ 20 conference.