[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 19, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  Mr. LEAHY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today I am introducing a sense-of-senate 
resolution commending Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his 
extraordinary leadership in protecting Colombia's natural environment. 
Anyone who has lived in, traveled to, or read about Colombia knows it 
is a country of exceptional beauty and biological diversity. It is also 
home to many indigenous groups who have played an indispensable role as 
environmental stewards of their territories. During the years of his 
Presidency, President Santos's efforts have not only established 
Colombia as a global environmental leader, they will provide lasting 
benefits to future generations and to the international community.
  On September 21, President Santos will be honored by the National 
Geographic Society for his efforts to protect Colombia's natural 
environment, and I believe the U.S. Senate should also recognize his 
achievements.

                              S. Res. 263

       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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