III 

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 

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; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 263 IS 

(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, Acandı ́, Playo ́n 

and Playona Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Bahı ́a 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; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 263 IS 

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 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) President Juan Manuel Santos has restruc3 tured and significantly strengthened the environ4 mental sector and management capacity of the Co5 lombian Government and has led the country to be6 come a global environmental leader; 

7 (2) President Santos has enhanced public 

8 awareness of the importance of protecting indige9 nous cultures and of the indispensable role of indige10 nous people in protecting the environment; 

11 (3) President Santos’ efforts to protect Colom12 bia’s biodiversity will provide lasting benefits to fu13 ture generations of Colombians and to the inter14 national community; and 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 263 IS 

1 (4) President Santos should be recognized and 

2 commended for these efforts and achievements. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS