Lima, June 19, 2007.- With the signing of an Agreement, the Andean Community and the Government of Finland put into effect the implementation of the Regional Biodiversity Program in the Amazon region of the CAN Member Countries, known as BIOCAN.

The Agreement was signed by the Secretary General of the CAN, Freddy Ehlers Zurita, and the Ambassador of Finland in Peru, Kimmo Pulkkinen, during a special ceremony with the participation of the Ambassadors of Bolivia and Colombia in Peru, the acting Chargé d’Affaires of Ecuador and high-level officials of Peru’s environmental organizations.

The Secretary General of the CAN and the Ambassador of Finland were in agreement in pointing out that the basic objective of the program is to raise the standard of living of the people inhabiting the tropical Andean regions of the CAN Member Countries through the equitable conservation and sustainable use of their biodiversity, while respecting their cultural diversity.   

They also coincided in stressing the incorporation of environmental issues in the negotiation of an Association Agreement between the CAN and the European Union and that poverty and the environment will be key topics of the Latin America and the Caribbean – EU Meeting next year. 

Freddy Ehlers gave special emphasis to the importance of Finland’s cooperation in carrying out the environmental tasks the Andean Community has set itself, which include aspects relating not only to climate change, but also to biodiversity and water. 

He pointed out the need for developed countries to understand that not only do we have to take care of, protect and develop our Amazon region in a sustainable manner, but that they have an enormous responsibility to the rest of mankind with regard to global warming."

The Finnish Ambassador, for his part, stated that the Agreement will make it possible to promote and help maintain sustainable biodiversity use in Andean countries with Amazon regions. 

He pointed out that the successful experience of Finland’s Cooperation with Peru, known as BIODAMAZ, will be put to use in this regional biodiversity program in the Amazon region, which seeks to give international importance to the Andean countries’ Amazon region.  He recalled that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in January of this year by the CAN General Secretariat and the Government of Finland, marking the start of a joint effort.