March 26, 2021
Dear Mr. Arthur Lira, Dear Mr. Rodrigo Pacheco,
With this letter we, Members of Parliament, would like to express our utmost concern regarding the possibility of the approval of a package composed of legislative proposals that will likely increase deforestation, violence against Indigenous and traditional communities and worsen socio-environmental conditions. Therefore, we hope that Brazilian National Congress and its Director Boards will take a strong stand against these setbacks in socio-environmental legislation. We specifically refer our concern to the approval of the following topics: mining on indigenous lands (Bill No. 191/2020, proposed by the House of Representatives); land tenure regularization (Bill No. 2633/2020 in the House of Representatives, and Bill No. 510/2021 in the Federal Senate); and environmental licensing (Bill No. 3729/2004 and addendums, currently in the House of Representatives, and Senate Bill No. 168/2018). Moving forward with these legislative proposals endangers our current and future relations, as we are committed to align with the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the respect for Human Rights. Biodiversity and a safe climate are foundational pillars for our shared future and our development pathway must proceed within the world’s ecological limits. Actions that provoke more deforestation and impair the rule of law or human rights standards, undermine a safe climate and the world’s biodiversity. Therefore, such actions should be contingent upon any trade agreements. We are profoundly worried that the proposed legislative package threatens our joint mission and endangers our future economic and trade relations. We would like to consider Brazil our partner in a joint effort for a better world. A world that protects human rights, respects biodiversity and the climate, and supports thriving societies. One major priority of the moment is to control and contain the Covid-19 pandemic, guaranteeing vaccines and economic support to the population of every nation. This goes hand in hand with reestablishing the conditions for social and economic recovery on sustainable bases. More deforestation, land grabbing and environmental crimes at the expense of human rights are diametrically opposed to this. SIGNATORIES- Omid Nouripour, Member of the German Bundestag
- Claudia Roth, Vice-President of the German Bundestag
- Anton Hofreiter, Leader of the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag
- Cem Özdemir, Member of the German Bundestag
- Uwe Kekeritz, Member of the German Bundestag
- Rossella Muroni, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
- Margarete Bause, Member of the German Bundestag
- Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament
- Allesandro Fussachia, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
- Barbara Hendricks, Member of the German Bundestag
- Lorenzo Fioramonti, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
- Andrea Cecconi, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
- Antonio Lombardo, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
- Kai Gehring, Member of the German Bundestag
- Beate Müller-Gemmeke, Member of the German Bundestag
- Gerhard Zickenheiner, Member of the German Bundestag
- Stefan Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag
- Lisa Paus, Member of the German Bundestag
- Markus Kurth, Member of the German Bundestag
- Anna Christmann, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ottmar von Holtz, Member of the German Bundestag
- Tobias Lindner, Member of the German Bundestag
- Matthias Zimmer, Member of the German Bundestag
- Matthias Gastel, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ekin Deligöz, Member of the German Bundestag
- Stefan Gelbhaar, Member of the German Bundestag
- Bettina Hoffmann, Member of the German Bundestag
- Lisa Badum, Member of the German Bundestag
- Danyal Bayaz, Member of the German Bundestag
- Sylvia Kotting-Uhl, Member of the German Bundestag
- Frithjof Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ingrid Nestle, Member of the German Bundestag
- Markus Tressel, Member of the German Bundestag
- Tabea Rössner, Member of the German Bundestag
- Filiz Polat, Member of the German Bundestag
- Konstantin von Notz, Member of the German Bundestag
- Claudia Müller, Member of the German Bundestag
- Margit Stumpp, Member of the German Bundestag
- Manuela Rottmann, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ulle Schauws, Member of the German Bundestag
- Katharina Dröge, Member of the German Bundestag
- Christian Kühn, Member of the German Bundestag
- Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn, , Member of the German Bundestag
- Beate Walter-Rosenheimer, Member of the German Bundestag
- Steffi Lemke, Member of the German Bundestag
- Julia Verlinden, Member of the German Bundestag