ESSAYS AND PAPERS
Recommendations emanated from The Amazonian Parliament to the Earth Charter
General Assembly held in July 1999
  • Strengthen the process for the elaboration of the legal framework at the Amazonian level which incorporates sustainable development in its entire range of applications.
  • Promote the training of legislative bodies to support the values of development sustainability.
  • Give priority, in a transparent and participatory manner, to public affairs in legislative actions.
  • Follow up on the resolutions and recommendations of the Amazonian Parliament regarding its geographical environment with the purpose of leading to specific and concrete actions.
  • Strengthen the communication and information network regarding international, multilateral, regional, bilateral and national agreements on sustainable development. Do so for the purpose of reinforcing the presence of Caribbean and Latin American regional parliaments in different discussion forums at their national, regional and international levels, through existing parliamentary agreements within the scope of the Permanent Forum of Regional Parliaments for the Environment and Sustainable Development,
  • Establish permanent communication with the National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, for the purpose of exchanging viewpoints on subjects of regional interest, which have a direct impact on the areas of sustainable development and environment. Establish this communication through existing networks with the participation of the Earth Council and the common consent of the Permanent Forum of Regional Parliaments for the Environment and Sustainable Development.
  • Support and maintain all measures that contribute to the improvement of education on sustainable development within the framework of formal education mechanisms in member countries of the Amazonian Parliament.
  • Foster initiatives and actions which strengthen technical and financial cooperation between regions for sustainable development through the Amazonian Parliament, as permanent member of the Forum of Regional Parliaments.
  • Integrate, transmit and mention in every agreement elaborated within the ambit of the Amazonian Parliament, the need to treat the ethical values which should govern sustainable development as a priority.
  • Promote all institutional mechanisms necessary for the fulfillment of these recommendations.
The decision to elaborate the EARTH CHARTER of the AMAZONIAN PARLIAMENT, which will be presented before the EARTH COUNCIL for its integration in the GLOBAL EARTH CHARTER process, is established within the framework of the Eighth Ordinary Assembly of the Amazon Parliament.

An Earth Charter Commission for the Amazonian Parliament is appointed for its preparation. It is constituted by the President of the Amazonian Parliament, Member of Parliament EMIGDIO FLORES CALPIÑEIRO, the Executive Secretary of this organization, ALEJANDRO MARTÍNEZ UBIEDA, Dr. MARCELO DECOUD, Executive Secretary of the Permanent Forum of Regional Parliaments for the Environment and Sustainable Development, representing CLIMA, and Parliament Members CARMEN CADOZO and JESÚS JIMENEZ, members of the Venezuelan delegation of the Amazonian Parliament.

The Amazonian Parliament considers that this charter constitutes a manifestation of our commitment with the Amazonia as the richest manifestation of biodiversity on the planet.

Following the consultation carried out among all of the participants of the Plenary Meeting of April 20, 1998, the Amazonian Parliament has identified the following ethical values necessary to turn sustainable development into practice in their geographical environment.

CONCERNING

  • The inherent value of life in all of its manifestations.
  • The number of ideas and concepts which emanate from the different sectors of society as the fundamental pillars of the constitutional state and of the sovereign will of the people, without distinction of race, ethnic group, gender, nationality and religion.
DIRECT PARTICIPATION
  • From all sectors of civil society and its governments in the decision making process to achieve sustainable development.
EQUITY AND JUSTICE
  • In the decisions and the mechanisms adopted for a co-existence between society as a whole as an integral part of the ecosystem, in favor of the development of society, ethics and equality above economic interest.
HONOR AND TRANSPARENCY
  • To generate a dialogue which promotes the consolidation of trust as a pillar of sustainable development and its alternatives, for the solution to the different aspects of problems faced by society.
SOLIDARITY
  • To promote reciprocity and the will to cooperate between the different sectors of society in order to reach the objectives of sustainable development.
SENSIBILITY
  • As the foundation of the decision making process which affects the well being of the population as a whole.
The above mentioned values have been placed in priority according to:
  • The institutional commitment from the Amazonian Parliament and the individual commitments of its members to strengthen their principles and to achieve their objectives in order to attain sustainability of development in accordance with the values enunciated in this charter.
  • A deeper knowledge of the needs of our people so that we can provide equitable and harmonious answers adapted to the Amazonian society and its governments, in a coexistence which respects and accepts our ethnical, cultural and biological diversity as the real foundations of development.
  • Prevent widespread anthropocentrical use of our biological diversity and prevent the triumph of economic aspects of development over the ethical values of society as a whole.
  • Promote commitment and establish individual and sector-based responsibilities that promote sustainable and appropriate use of our Amazonian environment.
  • The need to have indicators and criteria for sustainability to allow the elaboration of legislative frameworks, policies and control mechanisms which look at the customary rights of society and its ethical, cultural and biological diversity in a fair, transparent and participatory manner.
  • Strengthen, through the Amazonian Parliament, the participation of civil society as a whole in the decision process in matters of sustainable development, taking into account the responsibility of the parliamentary sector as the representative of its people's will for sovereignty and the custodian of democracy.
  • Throughout this parliament and the civil society, bring together all the means possible to resolve controversies through the search for a participatory consensus.
    Be deeply convinced and committed to change paradigms in individual and collective thinking, knowing that the existence of development is not possible and will not be possible as long as ethical values fail to prevail in the spirit of every action of all beings on this planet.