Cooperation of Amazon Countries
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Pace University DigitalCommons@Pace Dissertations & Theses School of Law 5-2014 Cooperation of Amazon Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Law Towards a Cooperative Effort for the Conservation and (Sustainable) Development of the Amazon Rainforest Maria Antonia Tigre Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawdissertations Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Environmental Law Commons, and the Natural Resources Law Commons Recommended Citation Maria Antonia Tigre , Cooperation of Amazon Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Law Towards a Cooperative Effort for the Conservation and (Sustainable) Development of the Amazon Rainforest (May 2014) (LLM thesis, Pace University School of Law), http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawdissertations/ 22/. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COOPERATION OF AMAZON COUNTRIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FOREST LAW TOWARDS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT FOR THE CONSERVATION AND (SUSTAINABLE) DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST By Maria Antonia Tigre Master of Laws Candidate, May 2014 This thesis is written under the guidance of Professor Nicholas Robinson and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Laws in Environmental Law at Pace University School of Law. © Maria Antonia Tigre, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................................... VII ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ IX LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... X LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ X INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1: AMAZONIA ......................................................................................................................... 6 1.1. WHAT IS THE AMAZON RAINFOREST? ............................................................................................... 6 1.2. HISTORY OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST ........................................................................................... 7 1.3. THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN .................................................................................................................. 8 1.4. AMAZON VEGETATION ........................................................................................................................ 10 1.5. AMAZON BIODIVERSITY ...................................................................................................................... 11 1.6. HUMAN SETTLEMENTS IN AMAZONIA ............................................................................................ 12 1.7. DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST .......................................................................... 12 1.8. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE AMAZON RAINFOREST .................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 2: COOPERATION BETWEEN AMAZON COUNTRIES ............................................. 15 2.1. HISTORY OF COOPERATION IN THE AMAZON REGION .............................................................. 15 2.1.1. Early forms of cooperation: From Bilateral Agreements to Regional Integration .. 15 2.1.2. The Amazon Cooperation Treaty ................................................................................................... 19 2.1.3. First period of cooperation within the ACT’s framework ................................................... 22 2.1.4. Second period of cooperation within the ACT’s framework .............................................. 22 2.1.4. Third period of cooperation within the ACT’s framework .................................................. 24 2.1.5. Fourth period of cooperation within the ACT’s framework ............................................... 26 2.2. THE AMAZON COOPERATION TREATY EXPLAINED .................................................................... 28 2.2.1. Initial Considerations on the Amazon Cooperation Treaty ................................................ 28 2.2.2. Ratification .............................................................................................................................................. 29 2.2.3. Member Countries and Treaty’s Domain of Validity ............................................................ 29 2.2.4. Adhesion ................................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2.5. Duration ................................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2.6. Dissolution and Termination ........................................................................................................... 33 2.2.7. ACT’s Main Goals ............................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.8. ACT’s Guiding Principles ................................................................................................................. 36 2.2.9. Reservation and Treaty Interpretation ........................................................................................ 38 2.2.10. Member countries’ rights ............................................................................................................... 39 2.2.11. Member countries’ obligations .................................................................................................... 40 2.2.12. Dispute Resolution ............................................................................................................................ 43 2.2.13. Participation of Third Parties and the Role of Multiple Stakeholders ........................ 43 2.2.14. Funding and Financing ................................................................................................................... 44 2.3. THE STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE AMAZON COOPERATION TREATY AND THE AMAZON COOPERATION TREATY ORGANIZATION .................................................................................. 46 2.3.1. Legal Status of the ACTO ................................................................................................................. 46 2.3.2. The Meeting of the Presidents ......................................................................................................... 47 2.3.3. The Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (MMFA) ......................................................... 51 2.3.4. The Amazon Cooperation Council (ACC) ................................................................................. 55 2.3.5. The Coordination Committee of the Amazon Cooperation Council (CCACC) .......... 57 ii 2.3.6. The Pro-Tempore Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (PTS) 58 2.3.7. The Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (PS) 59 2.3.8. The Permanent National Commissions (PNC) ........................................................................ 63 2.3.9. Special Commissions (SC) ................................................................................................................ 65 The Amazonian Parliament (PARLAMAZ) ................................................................................................. 66 2.3. THE ACTO IN PRACTICE ...................................................................................................................... 68 2.3.1. Bilateral Agreements within the framework of the ACT ...................................................... 68 2.3.2. ACTO’s Projects: An Illustration .................................................................................................. 69 CHAPTER 3: THE ABSENCE OF A BINDING GLOBAL TREATY ON FORESTS: DOES IT POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THE PROTECTION OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 73 3.1. DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTRY DISCUSSION IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ................ 74 3.1.1. UNCED and Forest Principles ....................................................................................................... 74 3.1.2. Forests as “Common Heritage of Mankind” ........................................................................... 76 3.1.3. Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) ........................................................................................................................................................... 78 3.1.4. United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) ............................................................................... 81 3.1.5. Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All types of Forests ...................................................