“We must take advantage of this COP 30 moment to get closer and closer, to learn from each other, whether we are leaders of countries, indigenous peoples of the forest, educators, students, researchers, community leaders, business leaders — in short, all of us.” This statement comes from Professor and geophysicist José Seixas Lourenço, Pro Tempore President of the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) and CEO of the BioTec-Amazonia Association.
Professor Seixas Lourenço highlights the need for joint work at the international level for the preservation of the Amazonian biome and other natural ecosystems of the planet — a central purpose of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30).
“It was with this goal of integrating people and institutions that the UNAMAZ stand at COP 30 was conceived and put into operation. This space, this stand, is perhaps the most democratic at the Conference, as throughout this week we had a series of events and the presence of leaders involved in the process of environmental awareness,” he emphasizes.
Since the first day of the Conference in Belém (PA), the UNAMAZ Pavilion has been receiving visitors interested in learning about the collaborative work developed by 80 universities, research institutes, and Third Sector institutions from eight Pan-Amazonian countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Created in 1987 on the initiative of Professor José Seixas Lourenço, then Rector of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), UNAMAZ underwent a revitalization process after the Amazon Summit, held in Belém in 2023. One of the priorities of this new phase is the strengthening of environmental education.
In this context, the UNAMAZ stand hosted two events this week organized by the Ministry of Education (MEC) focused on the National Policy for Environmental Education in Schools (PNAEA). The first meeting, on Wednesday (November 12th), was attended by Minister Camilo Santana. The following day, a Round of Dialogues between MEC technicians, teachers, and students from municipal, state, and community public schools promoted active listening to those who experience the reality of basic education. At the end of the meeting, the First Lady of Brazil, Janja, visited the space and spoke with students and educators.
Another important moment was the signing of a letter of intent between the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT), UNAMAZ, and BioTec-Amazônia. This partnership will allow for the development of joint actions based on scientific data organized by IBICT, strengthening projects related to education and the bioeconomy.
The movement around Environmental Education gained even more momentum with a hybrid meeting organized by UNESCO at the UNAMAZ stand, bringing together representatives from nearly 100 countries. Through this event, leaders and technicians gained access to tools provided by UNESCO to support environmental awareness initiatives.
Late this Friday afternoon (14), the UNAMAZ Pavilion will host the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, for a meeting with UNAMAZ and BioTec-Amazônia directors and technicians on research related to the traceability of pathogens.
In addition to intense interaction with visitors, Professor Seixas Lourenço has maintained contact with leaders of public bodies and representatives of other institutions present with stands at COP 30. “We at UNAMAZ will maintain this work of rapprochement and partnership with governments and institutions throughout the Conference, because the only possible way to build the development of the Amazon—and other territories in the world—responsibly is through joint work,” concludes the President of UNAMAZ.