Brasília, May 22, 2025 – Brazilian authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, experts, and civil society representatives gathered on Tuesday (May 20) in Brasília for the official launch of the project “Security, Conflict, and Environment in the Amazon.” The initiative is promoted by the European Union, with implementation by the Igarapé Institute (Brazil) and the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS – Colombia).

The project focuses on strengthening regional cooperation to combat environmental crimes and socio-environmental conflicts threatening the Amazon, particularly in the border region encompassing Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The aim is to develop an integrated approach to understanding security challenges in the region. The project will last two years.

Based on rigorous assessments of transnational criminal dynamics - such as illegal mining, violent crimes, and money laundering - the project seeks to inform public policy, reinforce environmental governance mechanisms, and ensure greater territorial protection, contributing to national governments and regional cooperation entities.

The launch ceremony, held at the Delegation of the European Union in Brasília, included the participation of the EU Ambassador to Brazil, Marian Schuegraf, and representatives from the diplomatic corps of EU and Amazonian countries; the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Police, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Igarapé Institute representatives Melina Risso, Maria Eugênia Trombini, and Aline Louise.

Opening the dialogue, the EU Ambassador to Brazil, Marian Schuegraf, emphasised: “Environmental crime is a regional and transnational challenge. Hand in hand with Brazil, the European Union is deeply committed to supporting the protection of the Amazon.”

Presenting the first research perspectives, Melina Risso highlighted that the project covers a territory equivalent in size to Chile, including the borders of the five countries under study.

“The project will map the dynamics of transnational crimes with special attention to environmental crimes and related offenses, such as money laundering and violent crimes, considering the particularities of each country. We will also map the networks and criminal organisations operating in the Amazon, threatening indigenous, riverside, and local populations. Revealing the dynamics of the territory is fundamental to improving the authorities’ ability to act, as well as enhancing coordination and cooperation among the countries involved,” reinforces Melina Risso, Research Director at the Igarapé Institute.

For Rodrigo Botero, Director of FCDS Colombia, it is important to reinforce shared governance in the Amazon: “Transnational crimes are severely affecting its environmental base, democracy, and fundamental rights. This is an opportunity to open doors for civil society participation, particularly indigenous and local communities, to draw attention to the shared responsibility among different institutions. We are, essentially, facilitators of information for better decision-making and new steps in the coordination process.”