The Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) was signed on 3 July 1978 by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, aimed at promoting joint actions towards the harmonious development of the Amazon Basin. By that time, ACTO Member States undertook the shared commitment with environmental preservation and the rational use of the Amazonian natural resources.
In 1995, the eight nations decided to create the ACTO, to strengthen and implement the Treaty goals. The amendment to the ACT was approved three years later, and the Permanent Secretariat was established in Brasilia in December 2002. ACTO is convinced that the Amazon region, for having one of the richest natural heritages in the world, plays a strategic role in inducing the upcoming development of the Amazon countries and region. It is a heritage that should be preserved but, above all, should be promoted pursuant to the principles of sustainable development.
