Campaign reply - Brazil's Indigenous people are under threat

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about Brazil's Indigenous people.

 As one of the world's biggest and most important ecosystems, the Amazon is of vital importance to everyone. It is beholden on all nations to work together to address the underlying causes of its ongoing and gradual degradation, to ensure that it is protected and the way of life of indigenous peoples who live there is allowed to continue. 

 Ministers at both the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for International Trade are in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Brazilian Government, and British officials in country with indigenous communities, on how the UK can help to address the environmental challenges facing the Amazon. The UK has also committed significant sums of UK Climate Finance to support efforts to reduce deforestation in the Amazon, including measures to address its underlying drivers.

Halting and reversing forest loss worldwide was a COP26 priority for the UK, and resulted in the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use being agreed at the Summit. It now has 142 signatories and means that over 90 per cent of the world’s forests are covered by the commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. 

This is a landmark achievement, backed by over $19 billion USD of newly-mobilised public and private sector funding. It is very encouraging that Brazil and indeed every country wherein the Amazon is located has backed the Declaration (with the exception of Venezuela). The UK will commit £1.5 billion over five years to support the Declaration worldwide, including up to £300 million intended for the Amazon. This is part of a wider commitment by Government to double the UK’s international climate finance budget to £11.6 billion in 2021-2025, compared with the previous 5-year commitment of £5.8 billion.

The UK is also committed to promoting and defending the human rights of all individuals, including indigenous peoples, and I am assured that ministers and officials regularly make this clear to their counterparts in the Brazilian Government and others in South America.

 

Nevertheless, I would be happy to raise the issues you describe with the relevant ministers on your behalf and the earliest opportunity.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.