Cablegate: Brazil's Response to Environmental Cooperation

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PP RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #2131/01 2791839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061839Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6944
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 3080
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 8300
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 5633

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002131

SIPDIS

STATE TO OES/PCI FOR LSPERLING
STATE TO OES/ETC EFOX, CDAWSON
STATE TO WHA/BSC FOR WPOPP
STATE TO OES/STC FOR RDRISCOLL
STATE TO G FOR CCONNORS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TBIO KSCA BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL'S RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION
INITIATIVES

REF: (A) BRASILIA 1292, (B) STATE 140401

1. SUMMARY: Post presented points in reftel A to Brazil's Ministry
of the Environment(MMA). MMA understands that despite limited
resources at this time, the USG is willing to begin outlining plans
for technical support. MMA agreed to work through the Common Agenda
for the Environment (CAE) framework. A Government of Brazil
decision on participation in the Coalition Against Wildlife
Trafficking (CAWT) may not be announced until the ministerial-level
meeting planned for early next year. END SUMMARY.

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Framework for Cooperation
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2. Bureau's response to Brazil's request for technical cooperation
(reftel B) was delivered belatedly due to MMA involvement in the
final weeks of Brazil's presidential elections. Post spoke with
Fernando Lyrio e Silva, Director of International Relations, at MMA.
Lyrio agreed to use the CAE as a framework for the collaboration,
although Post did not take this as a commitment that MMA would not
renew their request for an MOU somewhere down the line. He
supported the concept of creating working or "ad hoc" groups through
which the actual work would be planned, with the CAE serving as a
vehicle for reporting and oversight.

3. Post suggested the creation of work plans to satisfy the MMA
desire for a written document to "tie together" priorities and
objectives for each area of work. These work plans could be under
the cover of letters of understanding signed by the Under Secretary
and her Brazilian counterpart.

4. Lyrio noted that the CAE was organized by Itamaraty, the
Brazilian foreign ministry, and in the past it had discouraged the
use of the CAE as a forum for technical discussions.

5. Post believes part of Lyrio's concern about getting a plan down
on paper has its roots in the political situation in Brazil. He
hinted that he may not retain his post after January 2007, even if
the current Brazilian President wins reelection. (NOTE: In Brazil's
presidential election held October 1, the current Administration
came out just short of the votes needed for a clean win. A second
runoff election will be held on October 29.) Lyrio has been the
driving force in MMA toward collaboration with the United States.

6. Post also presented to Bernardo Velloso, Chief of the
Environment division at Itamaraty, the proposed list of areas for
technical collaboration proposed by MMA, and suggested that these
collaborations may be an agenda item at the next CAE. Velloso said
Itamaraty always wants to be aware of the substance of technical
discussions but geared the agenda of the CAE toward policy issues.

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Anti-Trafficking in Wildlife
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7. In conversations regarding the decision to join CAWT, Velloso
informed Post that it is Brazil's intent to engage in the processes
of internal discussion between now and the November CAWT meeting in
London where Brazil plans to participate in the debate. Velloso
said that an announcement could be made at the CAWT ministerial
event planned for early next year. In separate conversations with
the Ministry of the Environment on CAWT, Fernando Lyrio, said the
Ministry, including IBAMA, had satisfied any concerns it had (in
part due to the informative September DVC hosted by OES/ETC) but the
final decision rested with the foreign ministry.

8. The previously scheduled U.S. Fish and Wildlife training for
Brazilian federal police is on track to take place October 16-27,
2006, in the Pantanal and as noted in reftel, forensics will be
given special emphasis.

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Chemicals
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9. EPA International Relations Specialist Luis Fernandez,
accompanied by Scioff Matt Golden, met with Marilia Cerqueira,
Director of the Ministry of Environment's (MMA) Office of Chemicals
Management to discuss MMA's support for an EPA-administered UNEP
mercury partnership project in Brazil. Although Cerqueira began the
meeting in a confrontational manner, fronting a position that
without an MOU the MMA could not undertake the project with a USG
counterpart, her position evolved over the course of the
conversation to one of strong support for the technical cooperation
package. Cooperation from the MMA on the UNEP Mercury Partnership

BRASILIA 00002131 002 OF 002

appears to be finally on course.

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Parks and Protected Areas
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10. In 2005, this office, working with U.S. Embassy Brasilia PA,
scheduled the visit of a National Park Service (NPS) concessions
director to visit Brazil, as part of a Post-developed package of
technical assistance for the MMA. This support had been requested
specifically by Brazil's Environment Minister Silva during her 2005
visit to Teton National Park and subsequent discussions with Don
Murphy, NPS deputy director. This outstanding speaker, Cindy
Orlando, visited Brasilia September 18-19 and consulted with MMA
about ways of sharing best practices in this period of extremely
limited resources. Using this expertise, coupled with advice given
by Michelle Zweede, U.S. Forest Service, who spent time in Brazil
earlier this year, Post hopes to find a way to fund exchange visits
for park directors and other key employees. Post will also take
advantage of the visit of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service team
scheduled to arrive in Brasilia next week to come up with creative
ways to collaborate. Post will work closely with the Bureau in the
development of future activities.

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Water and Wetlands Management
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11. Post would be delighted to have Bureau support in re-scheduling
the visit of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Brazil to consult
on water management issues. We have passed to MMA the information
on the wetland capacity building resources of RAMSAR Regional Center
for Training and Research on Wetlands.

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Repatriation of Species
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12. Post will send a separate cable on the informal request by MMA
to open talks on repatriation of U.S. species found illegally in
Brazil.

13. COMMENT: Post will continue to work with the Bureau to
facilitate scheduling of the next CAE since all work to establish a
work plan to map out future bilateral collaboration on these issues
will begin with that meeting. Post welcomes guidance on next steps
on CAWT.

SOBEL

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