Background Information
The projects of cooperation for development of Brazil is coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) created in 1987 and reorganized in 1996. The institution has various projects implemented in the developing world in bilateral, regional, inter-regional and triangular basis. The ABC basis on the transference of knowledge and technical capacity. The projects currently focus in the strengthening of cooperation with Latin American countries and Portuguese Speaking countries in Africa. ABC has also projects with Arabic countries and Asian countries in particular with East Timor and most recently signed an agreement with Vietnam. Key areas of ABC are agriculture, education, sport, human and technical capacity building, energy, in particular biofuels, mining, health, small and medium enterprises and environment. Brazil is playing a key role on the UN Stabilization Mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) which involves a number of cooperation projects in the country.
Examples of Key Projects of Brazil
| FOCEM |
In the context of Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay), the member states of the bloc agreed recently the establishment of a Mercosur Structural Fund (FOCEM) ion order to reduce the asymmetries with the smaller member states. The FOCEM started to operate in 2007 and currently 16 projects are under implementation. Brazil is the major supporter of the project responding for 70% of total budget, a total of US$ 100 million annually.
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| OTCA and Forest Eight Grouptre |
Brazil is playing a leading role in cooperation for environmental issues on regional and multilateral basis. One of most important projects is the OTCA – Amazon Cooperation Organization Treaty established in 1995 giving a more force to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty signed in 1978. OTCA coordinates programmes to promote sustainable development of Amazon region including range of areas from environment preservation to health, science and technology, communication, tourism, transport and indigenous people affairs among others. The secretariat of OTCA is placed in Brasilia, Brazil. The country is also member of the recent created Forestry 8 Group, a group of developing countries representing over 80% of remaining rain forests which claim the extension of the CDM – Clean Development Mechanism to native forests at the negotiations of post Kyoto.
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| IIRSA |
The Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) was one of main outcomes of the First South America Summit realised in Brasilia in September 2000. The IIRSA is a dialogue forum intended to promote the development of transport, energy and communications infrastructure from a regional viewpoint looking at the physical integration of the South American nations in sustainable economic development basis. Brazil is a key actor on this programme.
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Health
(HIV/AIDS) |
Brazil’s cooperation has been very active on the field of health, especially in malaria and HIV/AIDS. The country has become world reference in treatment with prevention programmes and production of generic drugs for treatment and transferring know how and production capacity to a range of countries. Under initiative of Brazil and the UNAIDS the country established the Centre for Technical Cooperation in HIV/AIDS (CICT) established in 2005 to strengthen the implementation of national programmes for fighting this disease. ABC’s projects have been implemented in cooperation with Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ). The key recipient countries are Latin American and Caribbean countries and PALOP countries. Brazil has provided locally manufactured antiretroviral drugs to about 11 other developing countries, such as Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Colombia, East Timor, El Salvador, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Sao Tome and Principe. In addition, the country coordinates an international HIV/AIDS technical cooperation network that includes Argentina, China, Cuba, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine. The network aims to facilitate the transfer of technologies for the production of antiretroviral. ABC supported the establishment of National Schools for Public Health. In the context of Mercosur it is under implementation the “Banco de Medicamentos do Mercosul”, (Mercosur Bank for Medical Drugs) to exchange information and to reduce cost of acquisition of medical drugs among member states.
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Agriculture
(EMBRAPA) |
The leadership in tropical agriculture has made this sector one of the key priorities areas of cooperation of Brazil. Most of the work is done financed by ABC and implemented by the Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural and Livestock Research (EMBRAPA). Embrapa has become a leader in cooperation in agriculture. This government-based institution has nearly 70 bilateral and 20 multilateral agreements of cooperation. In Bolivia, a project for crop substitution has been implemented and in Haiti another project with manioc and cashew nuts are in phase of implementation. Most recently Brazil has established an Embrapa office for Africa which is expected to boost the action on this field and in particular with Biofuels, a sector in which Brazil has signed dozens of cooperation agreements in the last few years. In Senegal, for example, a project of small scale farming production of biofuels is under implementation. The IBSA – India Brazil South Africa Forum has also implemented projects in the field of tropical agriculture technology transfer in Haiti, Guinea Bissau, Laos and Sri Lanka. In the context of Mercosur/South America cooperation there is also the Consejo Agropecuario del Sur (CAS) and its programme for agri-food cooperation (PROCISUR) with a range of projects in the region.
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| Education and training |
Cooperation on the field of education has been implemented mainly with Portuguese Mercosur countries in particular school capacity building and illiteracy fight. A Centre for Training and Enterprise Development was established in Luanda, Angola in 1999 in partnership with private sector 1.500 Angolans in the area of mechanic, civil construction, electricity, clothing and other industrial. In Paraguay, ABC has implemented a Centre of Excellence for Professional Training. A similar centre directed to training and technology Education was implemented in Paraguay. In the context of Mercosur, Argentina and Brazil signed an agreement for implementation of obligatory disciplines of Portuguese in Argentinean and Spanish in Brazilian public schools. Brazil has provided grants for PALOP countries in Brazilian Universities. |
| Public Administration |
Projects on public administration envisage capacity building. A Centre of Excellence for Public Administration was implemented in Maputo, Mozambique in 2006 for professional training related to the integration and development of productive chains; the training of small enterprises and public administration. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conducted a training course programmes for diplomats in particular, from Portuguese speaking countries including Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Saint Tome and Principe and East Timor. In East Timor, Brazil is supporting the process of public administration capacity building. |
Science and Technology
(CBERS)
(ProAfrica) |
Brazil has one important programme of cooperation in science and technology with China. The cooperation started in 1982 and in 1988 both countries launched a programme for development and construction of satellites for climatic and environmental data collection (CBERS – Chinese-Brazilian Satellite for Terrestrial Resources). The images collected have been distributed to South American countries. In 2007 has announced the distribution of images for African countries for monitoring natural disasters, deforestation, treats for agricultural production and public health risks. Brazil has other important projects in science and technology with Mercosur partners in particular Argentina and with Cuba among others. The FAPESP – Foundation for Foment of Research of São Paulo State has launched a programme for Cooperation in Thematic Areas of Science and Technology for Africa under the ProAfrica programme with focus in strengthening activities of scientific research, technology and innovation in African countries, especially in Portuguese speaking countries.
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| Environment |
ABC cooperation in the field of natural resources and environment includes the transfer of technology for production of Biofuels, environmental preservation and sustainable development practices among others. Brazilian projects in Timor East focuses on the development of sustainable agriculture and sustainable agro-forestry initiatives including sustainable management of forests. Since 1995 Brazil has established a bilateral programme of cooperation with Mexico on the area of environment such as climate change, contamination water resources, biodiversity preservation, and exchange of environment information, education and training. Different projects are also under implementation in Africa. In Asia, Brazil started projects with Indonesia in bilateral basis for exchange of specialists, training of forest police and managing of forests and on trilateral cooperation both countries discuss the development of projects on re-forestation in East Timor, a request of the East Timor president Ramos Horta. In Mercosur context there is important projects to management and preservation of the Guarani aquifer covering the funding members of the bloc. Other projects in South America involve the OTCA – Amazon Cooperation Organization Treaty. Brazil is also member of the recent created Forestry 8 Group. |
| Infrastructure |
texMajority of the projects of cooperation of Brazil have included infra-structure as priority. In the regional context one important project is the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America in which the country has played a key role. In Portuguese speaking countries Brazil has contributed with infrastructure projects and human resources in different areas such as the building of infra-structure for implementation of internet in the case of Guinea Bissau and the website of its Parliament Assembly and centres for training and schools. In Haiti, there is a project of collection of solid waste financed by the member states of the IBSA Fund. Brazil has also programmes in the field of agriculture which includes infrastructure as the irrigated rice in Guinea Bissau. te
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Social Development
(Family Allowance) |
The experiences of Brazil in poverty reduction and hunger fight are model-programmes of social development transferred and adopted by large number of developing countries. The Bolsa Família or Family Allowance created in 2003 is the most prestigious example. The programme guarantees to the citizen’s rights related to education, health and food and nutritional security, besides representing an important instrument of fight against poverty. Many countries have either expressed interests or implemented the programme including Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana and Benin among others. Another project is the Bolsa Escola (School Grant) granted to families keeping their children on school which has been implemented in Portuguese speaking countries as Mozambique. The Brazilian Government and the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a major new initiative to strengthen the worldwide fight against child labour and a programme to fight child labour in Haiti.
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| Trade and Investments |
Brazilian government has given priority for South America strengthening the support for its Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) and recent established Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Since the establishment of Mercosur, intra-trade has increased significantly and the Unasur is already resulting in reduction of tariffs creating new opportunities of market in Brazil for neighbouring countries. Brazil has committed itself to allow duty free access to its markets for products from the world's 50 poorest countries on the WTO Doha Round. The IBSA has also provided market access for products of member states and it has benefited also Mercosur countries. Brazil has become a major investor in the South. In Argentina for example, 30 to 40% of FDI is coming from Brazil. Brazil is starting also to invest considerable in Africa, in particular, Portuguese speaking countries as some other countries in Mercosur and South America. An important movement between Brazil and Argentina is the agreements on payment of trade transactions in local currency. |
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil – Brazilian Agency for Cooperation – ABC
Homepages: http://www.mre.gov.br and http://www.abc.gov.br/
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