On the last day of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), which ended this Friday (November 21st) in Belém, the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) presented an assessment arguing that the Amazon should assume the leading role in its own development. According to the organization, this is a decisive moment for the region, which, for the first time, is recognized worldwide as central to the planet's climate future.

UNAMAZ highlighted that Amazonian universities, research centers, and organizations possess the experience, territorial perspective, and legitimacy necessary to understand the complexity of the forest, traditional populations, and local production chains—essential factors for building sustainable solutions.

Knowledge and innovation from the Amazon
For the Pro Tempore President of UNAMAZ and CEO of BioTec-Amazônia, Professor José Seixas Lourenço, the answers to the climate and economic challenges of the future must come from the region itself.
"It is in the Amazon that the answers will be born to add value to biodiversity products, transform traditional knowledge into biotechnology, boost the regional bioeconomy and develop solutions for adapting to climate change," he said.
According to him, this potential translates into direct benefits for the Amazonian peoples, their territories and their economies.
Strategic partnerships at the first COP held in the Amazon
Throughout COP 30, UNAMAZ and BioTec-Amazônia worked together in the management of an exclusive pavilion, which hosted debates, presentations and agreements aimed at building new paths for the sustainable development of the region.
Among the main highlights is the signing of:
Letter of Intent between UNAMAZ and OTCA (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization), which creates a permanent channel to transform academic knowledge into concrete actions aimed at climate challenges;
Partnership with the Cipó Platform, expanding the dialogue between universities, research institutes, startups, and the productive sector, focusing on biodiversity discoveries, monitoring technologies, bioeconomy, and biotechnology;
Memorandum of Understanding with the Green Terre Foundation, which provides for the transfer of technologies to promote carbon-neutral (Net-Zero) campuses in the 80 universities that are part of UNAMAZ.

"These agreements represent the Amazon assuming the role of protagonist in its development," reinforced Seixas Lourenço.
Strategic projects presented
During the conference, the UNAMAZ/BioTec-Amazonia Pavilion showcased initiatives that combine science, innovation, and sustainability, including:
Meat traceability project by DNA;
Gold traceability project by geochemical signature;
Tomé-Açu Agroforestry System (SAFTA), filed with the Amazon Fund with support from the Embassy of Japan and JICA;
The Maniva Tapajós Project, focused on combating pests and increasing cassava productivity, was presented to SUDAM;
The Saberes Project, which values ​​traditional knowledge in partnership with BioTec-Amazônia.
Presence of federal authorities
The UNAMAZ and BioTec-Amazônia stand also hosted a special program from the Ministry of Education, with the presence of Minister Camilo Santana, as well as the Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, Paulo Teixeira, and the First Lady of Brazil, Janja Silva.
At the end of the event, Professor José Seixas Lourenço summarized the main message defended by UNAMAZ:
“The Amazon is not just a territory that needs to be saved; it is a territory capable of saving itself.”