Posted on 09 June 2011
Brasilia, Brazil; Brazilian President Dilma
Rousseff has marked the country's preparations
for next year's landmark Rio +20 conference
on sustainable development
by repeating that there will be no amnesty
granted to those that had carried out deforestation.
"There will be
no negotiation or prevarication on the issue
of deforestation," Rousseff said, without
making any specific reference to the divisive
debate on a proposed radical cut to forest
protection measures that have cleared Brazil's
National Assembly.
Anticipation of the changes - which still
have to pass the Brazilian Senate and receive
presidential assent - has been linked to
a dramatic upsurge in deforestation rates
in the Amazon and elsewhere in recent months.
Generous amnesty provisions
This has been linked to generous amnesty
provisions for illegal clearing in areas
under protection in the current law such
as forests by waterways, on steep slopes
and high elevation watersheds. Forest reserve
requirements - and more vigorous enforcement
- are credited with key roles in Brazil's
leading record in reducing deforestation
over recent years.
"We are determined to fulfil the commitments
we have made and will not tolerate any steps
backwards in the historical process,"
declared the President during her speech,
which celebrated the setting up of the National
Committee and the Organising Commmittee
of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20).
The President was likely trying to strengthen
Brazil's image overseas as a defender of
the environment in the face of alarm that
a revised Forest Bill would see a return
to the devastating rates of forest destruction
that was a key impetus to the original Rio
conference.
Dilma reaffirmed Brazil's commitment to
continuing its role as a global leader both
in food production and as an environmental
power and to making use of renewable energy
sources.
WWF-Brazil CEO Denise
Hamú, present at the ceremony in
the Planalto Palace, considers the event
to be an important milestone. "President
Dilma was applauded for a full five minutes.
The audience made up of diplomats, members
of parliament, members of the government
and other important guests demonstrated
its enthusiastic support for the commitments
made in regard to the environment,"
said Hamú.
"I think that Dilma Roussef sensed
the force of society's wish for a serious
policy committed to environmental conservation."
Senators responsible
for crucial report named.
In another development, the Senators responsible
for a pre-debate report on the proposed
bill from the standing committee on Agriculture
and the Environment have been named.
They are the senator for Santa Catarina,
Luiz Henrique (Partido do Movimento Democrático
Brasileiro -PMDB) linked to the 'ruralista'
parliamentary group (agribusiness and big
landholders) and senator for Acre, Jorge
Viana (Partido dos Trabalhadores- PT) connected
to the pro-environment group.
Both have both declared their intention
to achieve consensus on a final text that
is representative of the positions of both
groups.
This marks a distinct change from the lower
house process, where the report advocating
proposed "reforms" was under the
control of the ruralista grouping who pushed
forward the controversial measures in the
face of complaints of inadequate consultation
with scientists and community groups.
