[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 263 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 263

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that President Juan Manuel Santos 
   has restructured and significantly strengthened the environmental 
sector and management capacity of the Colombian Government and has led 
          the country to become a global environmental leader.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2017

Mr. Leahy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

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                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that President Juan Manuel Santos 
   has restructured and significantly strengthened the environmental 
sector and management capacity of the Colombian Government and has led 
          the country to become a global environmental leader.

Whereas Colombia is one of the world's ``megadiverse'' countries, hosting close 
        to 10 percent of the planet's biodiversity and producing an estimated 15 
        percent of the world's oxygen;
Whereas Colombia occupies--

    (1) first place worldwide in the number of birds and orchids;

    (2) second place in species of plants, amphibians, butterflies and 
fresh water fish;

    (3) third place in species of palm trees and reptiles;

    (4) fourth place in biodiversity of mammals; and

    (5) fifth place in marine and continental ecosystems;

Whereas Colombia's extraordinary mix of ecological, climatic, and biological 
        components are dispersed among its 311 ecosystems and 59 protected 
        areas;
Whereas Colombia's biodiversity is at risk, mainly because of habitat loss, 
        urbanization, illicit drug cultivation and production, mining and other 
        extractive industries, deforestation, and overfishing;
Whereas on the day of his inauguration in 2010, and continuously since that 
        date, President Santos has made environmental management and resource 
        conservation top priorities of the Colombian Government;
Whereas since his inauguration, 14,800,000 hectares of territory have been 
        incorporated into the National System of Protected Areas, including 
        Chiribiquete National Park, Corales de Profundidad National Park, 
        Acandi, Playon and Playona Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Bahia Portete-
        Kaurrele National Natural Park;
Whereas Colombia now has 28,400,000 hectares incorporated into the National 
        System of Protected Areas;
Whereas the Colombian Government approved the establishment and expansion of 
        indigenous reserves to protect indigenous cultures and curtail 
        deforestation of critical ecosystems;
Whereas the Colombian Government adopted measures to reduce carbon emissions 
        resulting from deforestation in the Colombian Amazon;
Whereas the Colombian Government developed a national strategy to combat climate 
        change;
Whereas, through the Vision Amazonia initiative, the Colombian Government has 
        set an ambitious goal of achieving zero net deforestation in the 
        Colombian Amazon by 2020;
Whereas for the first time in 2016, the Colombian Government completed a 
        greenhouse gas emissions inventory that includes data from both 
        department and municipal levels; and
Whereas Colombia played a primary role in the Rio+20 Conference agenda for a 
        green economy and continues to be an active member in the international 
        environmental dialogue: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) President Juan Manuel Santos has restructured and 
        significantly strengthened the environmental sector and 
        management capacity of the Colombian Government and has led the 
        country to become a global environmental leader;
            (2) President Santos has enhanced public awareness of the 
        importance of protecting indigenous cultures and of the 
        indispensable role of indigenous people in protecting the 
        environment;
            (3) President Santos' efforts to protect Colombia's 
        biodiversity will provide lasting benefits to future 
        generations of Colombians and to the international community; 
        and
            (4) President Santos should be recognized and commended for 
        these efforts and achievements.
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