§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Brazil concerning the threat to indigenous peoples of the rain forest arising from logging and other developments.[16678]
§ Mr. FoulkesI have been asked to reply.
We regularly raise the interests of indigenous peoples with the Government of Brazil, at Ministerial and other levels, We also work closely with the Government of Brazil on projects to conserve the environment and improve people's livelihood, with a particular focus on the Amazon rain forest. Our technical co-operation programme tackles issues such as sustainable forest management and conservation of plant and animal wildlife. The expressed needs of local people, including indigenous people, form an integral part of such projects. These aim to involve indigenous people in the decision-making process and thereby help to preserve their traditional way of life while enhancing their social, political and economic circumstances.