During the second US-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue, participants discussed: the Partnership for the Development of Biofuels for Aviation; the next meeting of the US-Brazil Joint Commission on Science and Technology; preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20); and the upcoming 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
2 June 2011: The second US-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue convened on 1 June 2011 in Washington, DC, US, and was preceded by senior-level meetings on: science, technology and the environment; trilateral development cooperation and food security; and regional issues.
Participants underscored the Partnership for the Development of Biofuels for Aviation, under the Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Cooperation on Biofuels, as well as the importance of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). Brazil reaffirmed its intention to host an ECPA ministerial meeting in the future. Both sides renewed their decision to enhance cooperation on food security and on development assistance to third countries. They discussed strategies to enhance their existing efforts on trilateral cooperation, including outreach on agricultural biotechnology.
Participants looked forward to planning the next meeting of the US-Brazil Joint Commission on Science and Technology, which features innovation as a key agenda item, at the earliest possible date. They underscored the role of innovation in promoting sustained economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation, and expressed their interest in exploring synergies among existing bilateral initiatives, and enhancing collaboration among government, the academic community, the private sector, and civil society in this area. They discussed the creation of a working group to foster bilateral cooperation on satellite-based Earth observations, environmental monitoring, precipitation measurement, and disaster prevention, mitigation and response.
They reiterated their intention to work closely in preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012. They exchanged ideas on the green economy and reaffirmed their intent to work together on the Green Economy Partnership and Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability in the run up to Rio+20.
They also discussed the upcoming 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa, and reaffirmed their intention to work together toward implementing the agreement reached in Cancun, Mexico. Bearing in mind their common interest in addressing a concrete environmental and health issue, participants explored the possibility of joining efforts under the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, an initiative in which the US is a leading partner, and the Brazil-led Ethanol for Domestic Use Initiative. [US State Department Press Release]