Declaration of Civil Society Organizations on the Crisis of Deforestation and Burning in the Brazilian Amazon on occasion of the G-7 Summit in Biarritz, France (August 2019)
The dramatic increase in the number of fires in the Brazilian Amazon during 2019, with 32,748 ocurrences registered between January 1st and August 14th (60% above the average of the previous three years) following an alarming increase in the rate of deforestation over the past year, has provoked outrage and protests in Brazil and around the world, to the point where this issue has been urgently included in the agenda of the G-7 summit to be held in Biarritz, France.
Problems of deforestation and burning in the Amazon have a long history; however, the worsening of this situation in 2019 is a direct result of the behavior of the government of President Jair Bolsonaro. Factors intensifying the environmental crisis in the Amazon, associated with the federal government, include:
- The refusal to demarcate indigenous lands, along with attempts to open up territories for exploitation by mining, hydroelectric dams and agribusiness interests, disrespecting the Federal Constitution;
- The deliberate and systematic dismantling of the operational capacity of IBAMA, the federal environmental agency, and other institutions responsible for enforcement against illegal acts of public land grabbing, forest clearing and burning, logging and mining;
- Public statements by President Bolsonaro concerning his commitment to loosening enforcement and suspending fines for illegal activities, sending a clear signal of impunity that encourages environmental crimes.
- Budget cuts, persecution of employees and dismantling of the structure of ICMBio, the federal agency responsible for the management of protected areas;
- Backsliding in the legal framework for environmental licensing of infraestructure, mining and agribusiness projects, characterized by high social and environmental impacts and risks;
- Abandonment of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm) launched in 2004 and largely responsible for a major decrease in deforestation rates between 2005 and 2012;
- Manipulation of agencies responsible for environmental protection, through nomination to high-level government posts of individuals linked to the immediate interests of agribusiness and other sectors that should be subjected to public regulation;
- Attempts to discredit technical institutions of the federal government responsible for monitoring deforestation and other environmental problems, as in the case of the National Space Research Institute (INPE).
The increase in deforestation and burning in the Amazon, associated with land grabbing and illegal exploitation of timber and other natural resources, is directly connected to rising acts of violence against indigenous peoples, traditional communities and social movements; violence that has remained in impunity, in the great majority of cases. Meanwhile, President Bolsonaro has encouraged the criminalization of social movements and NGOs, reaching the absurdity of blaming them for increased burning in the Amazon.
Such actions, omissions and discourse have made Brazil a global outcast in an area where the country was previously a protagonist. This threatens the Amazon, the largest heritage of Brazilians, the well being of the population and the global climate, which cannot withstand emissions from the destruction of the Amazon. Ironically, this situation now threatens the future of the Brazilian agribusiness sector that the president claims to defend.
The Brazilian government urgently needs to take responsibility for leading a series of efforts, involving public, private and civil society actors, to address this grave problem, including among other concrete actions:
- Effective support for urgent actions to combat environmental crimes associated with public land grabbing, deforestation, burning and illegal exploitation of natural resources, led by IBAMA and other agencies responsible for monitoring and enforcement, with guarantees of necessary funding;
- Elimination of obstacles to the demarcation of indigenous lands, together with recognition of the territorial rights of quilombola communities and other traditional populations;
- Suspending legislative bills aimed at rolling back environmental protections, in line with a recent proposal presented by former ministers of the environment of Brazil;
- The re-creation of the steering committee and resumption of activities of the Amazon Fund (Fundo Amazônia);
- Resumption of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon and neighboring tropical savannah (Cerrado), ensuring adequate financial resources, transparency and participation of government entities and civil society.
At the same time, we urge G-7 member countries present at the Biarritz Summit to take concrete steps to:
- Guarantee effective mechanisms to avoid imports of commodities from agribusiness, mining and timber sectors that originate from areas characterized by recent deforestation and violations of human rights in the Amazon;
- Implement effective policies of prevention and 'due diligence' for investments of companies and financial institutions in projects in the Amazon that involve high levels of risk and violations of human rights and environmental legislation;
- In the case of an effective change in positions of the Bolsonaro government, contribute to efforts by government and society to address deforestation and burning in the Amazon, with the means necessary for implementing climate change policies in line with the objective of 1.5o C of the Paris Agreement.
August 26, 2019
Denne listen over organisasjoner står bak brevet:
Co-signing organizations:
Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil – APIB Associação Terra Indígena do Xingu - ATIX Associação Floresta Protegida (Kayapó) Associação Alternativa Terrazul Associação das Comunidades Montanha e Mangabal Associação de Pesquisa Xaraiés MT Associação Indígena Aldeia Maracanã- AIAM Articulação pela Convivência com a Amazônia - ARCA Articulação Internacional de Atingidos e Atingidas pela Vale Amazon Watch Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira – COIAB Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas - CONAQ Cáritas Brasileira Regional Minas Gerais Centro de Formação do Negro e Negra da Transamazônica e Xingu Clínica de Direitos Humanos da UFMG Comitê Nacional em Defesa dos Territórios Frente a Mineração Coletivo de Mulheres do Xingu Coletivo Mura de Porto Velho Comitê em Defesa da Vida Amazônia na Bacia do Rio Madeira Conectas Direitos Humanos Conselho Indigenista Missionário - CIMI Fórum Mudanças Climáticas e Justiça Social Fórum da Amazônia Oriental - FAOR Fórum em Defesa de Altamira Fórum Bem Viver Fórum São Francisco Fundação Darcy Ribeiro GT Infraestrutura Greenpeace Brasil Instituto Raoni Instituto Kabu Instituto Makarapy Instituto Fronteiras Instituto Madeira Vivo – IMV Instituto Sociedade, População e Natureza - ISPN Instituto Socioambiental – ISA Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social International Rivers – Brasil Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra – MST Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - MAB Movimento Fechos Eu Cuido Movimento de Mulheres Campesinas - MMC Movimento pela Soberania Popular na Mineração - MAM Movimento Tapajós Vivo Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre Mutirão Pela Cidadania Operação Amazônia Nativa - OPAN Pacto das Águas Pastoral da Juventude Rural - PJR Planète Amazone Proteja Amazônia Rede de ONGs da Mata Atlântica – RMA Rede GTA Rede Brasileira de Arteducadores - ABRA Rios de Encontro – Marabá Sindiquímica – PR SOS Mata Atlântica Uma Gota no Oceano WWF-Brasil | Articulation of Brazilian Indigenous Peoples – APIB Association of the Xingu Indigenous Territory - ATIX Protected Forest Association Alternative Association Blue Planet Association of Communities Montanha & Mangabal Maracanã Village Indigenous Association – AIAM Xaraiés Research Association - MT Articulation for Coexistence with the Amazon - ARCA International Articulation of People Affected by Vale Amazon Watch Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon – COIAB National Coordination of Rural Afro Brazilian Quilombola Communities - CONAQ Caritas Brazilian Regional Minas Gerais AfroBrazilians Training Center of the Transamazon and Xingu Human Rights Clinic, Federal University of Minas Gerais Xingu Women's Collective National Committee in Defense of Territories Against Mining Mura Collective of Porto Velho (Rondônia) Committee in Defense of Amazonian Life in the Madeira River Basin Conectas Human Rights Indigenist Missionary Council - CIMI Forum on Climate Change and Social Justice Forum of Eastern Amazônia - FAOR Forum in Defense of Altamira Forum for Well-Being Forum São Francisco Darcy Ribeiro Foundation Infrastructure Working Group Greenpeace Brasil Raoni Institute Kabu Institute Marakapy Institute Frontiers Institute Madeira Alive Institute Institute Society, Population and Nature - ISPN Socioenvironmental Institute – ISA Institute Ethos for Business and Social Responsibility International Rivers - Brazil Movement of Landless Rural Workers – MST Movement of Dam-Affected Peoples - MAB Movement Caring for Fechos Movement of Peasant Women - MMC Movement for Popular Sovereignty in Mining-MAM Tapajós Alive Movement Xingu Forever Alive Movement Coalition for Citizenship Operation Native Amazonia - OPAN Pact for Waters Pastoral Comission for Rural Youth – PJR Amazon Planet Amazon Protection NGO Network for the Atlantic Rainforest - RMA GTA Network (Amazon Working Group) Brazilian Network on Art-Educators – ABRA Rivers of Encounters – Marabá Sindiquimica – PR SOS Atlantic Rain Forest A Drop in the Ocean WWF-Brazil
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