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TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 12829

SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION 

Earth Sciences

Memorandum of Understanding 

Between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

and BRAZIL

Signed at Reston January 17 and 31, 1997
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NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Pursuant to Public Law 89–497, approved July 8, 

1966 (80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

‘‘. . . the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and 

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of 

maritime jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices 

of the United States, and of the several States, without any further proof or authentication thereof.’’

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 

Washington, D.C. 20402
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(1) TIAS 12829

Brazil 

Scientific Cooperation: Earth Sciences 

Memorandum of understanding signed at Reston 

January 17 and 31, 1997; 

Entered into force January 31, 1997.
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TIAS 12829

1TIAS 10990.

BR 6.000

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

BETWEEN 

THE 

COMPANY FOR RESEARCH FOR MINERAL RESOURCES 

OF THE MINISTRY OF MINES AND ENERGY 

FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL 

AND THE 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONCERNING 

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION 

IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

Article I. Scope and Objectives:

1. This Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter referred to as the 

"Memorandum") between the Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais 

(hereinafter referred to as the "CPRM") and the U.S. Geological Survey (hereinafter referred to as the "USGS") records their agreement to pursue scientific and 

technical cooperation in the earth sciences.

2. The purpose of this Memorandum is to provide a framework for the CRPM 

and the USGS (hereinafter referred to as the "Parties") for cooperation in joint 

studies and scientific exchanges, on subjects of mutual interest, in the earth 

sciences. These cooperative studies will be done on a basis of equality, reciprocity, and mutual benefit.

3. This Memorandum is concluded pursuant to and will be governed by the 

Agreement Relating to Cooperation in Science and Technology Cooperation 

(hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") between the United States of 

America and the Federative Republic of Brazil signed at Brasilia, February 6, 

1984, as amended and extended.1

4. For cooperation that may extend into subjects outside the authority of the 

USGS, the USGS may with the consent of the CPRM, and to the extent permitted by United States laws and policies, attempt to include the participation 
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of other United States entities in the development and undertaking of activities 

within the scope of this Memorandum.

5. For cooperation that may extend into subjects outside the authority of the 

CPRM, the CPRM may with the consent of the USGS, and to the extent permitted by Brazilian laws and policies, attempt to include the participation of 

other Brazilian entities in the development and undertaking of activities within 

the scope of this Memorandum. 

Article II. Cooperative Activities:

1. Cooperation under this Memorandum may include visits, the exchange of 

technical information, and cooperative research of mutual interest, including but 

not limited to the following:

a. Mineral resource exploration and assessment; 

b. Energy resource exploration and assessment, including geothermal 

energy; 

c. Geological mapping; 

d. Marine geology; 

e. Geochemistry and geophysics; 

f. Geological hazards assessment and mitigation; 

g. Environmental geoscience, including the environmental impact of 

mining; 

h. Remote sensing and related data integration and methodology as 

applied to geologic mapping; 

i. Water data collection, interpretation, and research; 

j. Geoscience information systems, including libraries and publications; and 

k. Training of individual scientists, including on-the-job training as 

well as training in formal course work or workshops and 

symposia.

2. Activities under this Memorandum shall be subject to the laws, regulations, 

and policies of the United States and Brazil.

Article III. Source of Funds:

Cooperative activities under this Memorandum shall be subject to the availability 

of funds and personnel to each Party; generally, each Party will cover its own 
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costs incurred in the conduct of cooperative studies. Any other financial arrangements will be agreed to in writing.

Article IV. Intellectual Property and Security Obligations:

Provisions for the protection and distribution of intellectual property created or 

furnished in the course of cooperative activities under this Memorandum, and 

provisions for the protection of classified information and unclassified exportcontrolled information and equipment, shall be in accordance with the provisions 

of the Agreement.

Article V. Disclaimer:

Information transmitted from one Party to another under this Memorandum shall 

be accurate to the best knowledge of the transmitting Party, but the transmitting 

Party does not warrant the suitability of the information transmitted for any particular application by the receiving Party or by any third party.

Article VI. Planning and Review of Activities

The Parties shall each designate 2 representatives who will meet annually to 

review the activities under this Memorandum and develop proposals for future 

activities, as appropriate.

Article VII. Project Annexes:

Whenever more than the exchange of technical information or visits of individuals is planned such activities shall be described in a Project Annex to this 

Memorandum. The Annex will describe work objectives, a work plan, staffing 

requirements, cost estimates, funding sources, and any obligations or undertakings not specified in this Memorandum. The scientific and technical results 

of cooperative projects conducted under this Memorandum will be in the public 

domain and published, funds permitting. If the Project Annex and this Memorandum are inconsistent, the terms of this Memorandum shall be controlling.

Article VIII. Entry into Force and Termination

This Memorandum shall enter into force upon signature by both Parties and 

remain in force for five (5) years. It will be automatically extended for consecutive periods of one (1) year unless terminated by at least ninety (90) days prior 

written notice to the other Party. It may be terminated at any time by either Party 

upon ninety (90) days prior written notice to the other Party. The termination 

of this Memorandum shall not affect the validity or duration of projects under 

this Memorandum that are initiated prior to such termination.
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Done at Reston, Virginia, in duplicate, in the English and Portuguese languages, 

both texts being equally authentic.

FOR THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

OF THE DEPARTMENT 

OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 

FOR THE COMPANY FOR 

RESEARCH FOR MINERAL 

RESOURCES OF THE MINISTRY 

OF MINES AND ENERGY 

FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL: 

Barbara J. Ryan Carlos Oiti Berbert

Signature Signature

Barbara J. Ryan Carlos Oiti Berbert

Name Name

Associate Director President

Title Title

January 17, 1997 January 31, 1997

Date Date 
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BR 6.00

MEMORANDO DE ENTENDIMENTO 

ENTRE A 

COMPANHIA DE PESQUISA DE RECURSOS MINERAIS 

DO MINISTE ́RIO DAS MINAS E ENERGIA DA 

REPU ́ BLICA FEDERATIVA DO BRASIL 

EO 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

DO DEPARTAMENTO DO INTERIOR 

DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS

SOBRE 

COOPERAC ̧ A ̃ O CIENTI ́FICA E TE ́CNICA 

NAS CIEˆNCIAS DA TERRA

Artigo I. Alcance e objetivos:

1. Este Memorando de Entendimento (doravante mencionado como 

"Memorando") entre a Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais (doravante 

mencionada como "CPRM") e o United States Geological Survey (doravante 

mencionado como "USGS") registra o acordo de procurar cooperac ̧a ̃o cientı ́fica 

e te ́cnica nas cieˆncias da terra.

2. O propo ́sito deste Memorando e ́ proporcionar um contexto para a CPRM e 

o USGS (doravante mencionados como as "Partes") cooperarem em estudos 

conjuntos e intercaˆmbios cientı ́ficos em assuntos de mu ́tuo interesse referentes 

a`s cieˆncias da terra. Esses estudos de colaborac ̧a ̃o sera ̃o feitos em base de 

igualdade, reciprocidade e benefı ́cio mu ́tuo.

3. Este Memorando baseia-se no Acordo de Cooperac ̧a ̃o em Cieˆncia e 

Tecnologia (doravante mencionado como o "Acordo") entre os Estados Unidos 

da Ame ́rica e a Repu ́blica Federativa do Brasil, assinado em Brası ́lia em 6 de 

fevereiro de 1984, segundo emendado e ampliado, e sera ́ regido pelos termos 

dele constantes.

4. No caso de cooperac ̧a ̃o que se estenda a campos fora da autoridade da 

CPRM, a CPRM podera ́, com o consentimento do USGS e na medida em que 

for permitido pelas leis e polı ́ticas brasileiras, procurar incluir a participac ̧a ̃o de 

outras entidades brasileiras no desenvolvimento e implementac ̧a ̃o de atividades 

dentro do alcance deste Memorando.
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Artigo II. Atividades de cooperac ̧a ̃o:

1. A cooperac ̧a ̃o nos termos deste Memorando podera ́ incluir visitas, 

intercaˆmbio de informac ̧a ̃o te ́cnica e pesquisa cooperativa de interesse mu ́tuo, 

incluindo o seguinte, pore ́m sem a isso se limitar:

a) Explorac ̧a ̃o e avaliac ̧a ̃o de recursos minerais; 

b) Explorac ̧a ̃o e avaliac ̧a ̃o de recursos energe ́ticos, inclusive energia 

geote ́rmica; 

c) Mapeamento geolo ́gico; 

d) Geologia marinha; 

e) Geoquı ́mica e geofı ́sica; 

f) Avaliac ̧a ̃o e reduc ̧a ̃o de perigos geolo ́gicos; 

g) Geocieˆncia ambiental, inclusive o impacto ambiental da 

minerac ̧a ̃o; 

h) Sensoriamento remoto e integrac ̧a ̃o de dados correlatos e 

metodologia, segundo aplica ́vel ao mapeamento geolo ́gico; 

i) Coleta, interpretac ̧a ̃o e pesquisa de dados hı ́dricos; 

j) Sistemas de informac ̧a ̃o sobre geocieˆncia, inclusive bibliotecas e 

publicac ̧o ̃es; e 

k) Treinamento de cientistas individuais, inclusive treinamento no 

trabalho e em cursos formais ou em semina ́rios e simpo ́sios.

2. As atividades abrangidas neste Memorando estara ̃o sujeitas a`s leis, aos 

regulamentos e a`s polı ́ticas dos Estados Unidos e do Brasil.

Artigo III. Fonte de financiamento:

As atividades de cooperac ̧a ̃o, segundo este Memorando, estara ̃o sujeitas a`

disponibilidade de fundos e de pessoal de cada uma das Partes; de modo geral, 

cada Parte custeara ́ as pro ́prias despesas incorridas na realizac ̧a ̃o dos estudos de 

cooperac ̧a ̃o. Quaisquer outras disposic ̧o ̃es financeiras devera ̃o ser acordadas por 

escrito.

Artigo IV. Propriedade intelectual e obrigac ̧o ̃es de seguaranc ̧a:

As disposic ̧o ̃es de protec ̧a ̃o e distribuic ̧a ̃o de propriedade intelectual, criada ou 

fornecida no decorrer das atividades de cooperac ̧a ̃o nos termos deste Memorando, 

bem como as disposic ̧o ̃es de protec ̧a ̃o de informac ̧a ̃o classificada e de informac ̧a ̃o 
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e equipamento na ̃o-classificados de exportac ̧a ̃o controlada devera ̃o estar 

conformes a`s estipulac ̧o ̃es do Acordo.

Artigo V. Declinac ̧a ̃o de responsabilidades:

A informac ̧a ̃o transmitida de uma Parte a` outra nos termos deste Memorando 

devera ́ ser exata tanto quanto for dado saber a` Parte transmitente; no entanto, 

a Parte transmitente na ̃o garante a adequac ̧a ̃o da informac ̧a ̃o transmitida a 

nenhuma aplicac ̧a ̃o determinada pela Parte recebedora ou por terceiros.

Artigo VI. Planejamento e revisa ̃o de atividades:

As Partes designara ̃o cada uma dois representantes que se reunira ̃o anualmente 

para rever as atividades especificadas neste Memorando e preparar propostas para 

outras atividades, conforme apropriado.

Artigo VII. Anexos do Projeto:

Sempre que se planejar mais do que o intercaˆmbio de informac ̧a ̃o te ́cnica ou 

visitas a indivı ́duos, tais atividades sera ̃o descritas num Anexo do Projeto a este 

Memorando. O Anexo descrevera ́ os objetivos do trabalho, um plano de trabalho, 

requisitos de pessoal, estimativas de custo, fontes de financiamento e quaisquer 

obrigac ̧o ̃es ou empreendimentos na ̃o especificados neste Memorando. Os 

resultados cientı ́ficos e te ́cnicos dos projetos de cooperac ̧a ̃o realizados nos termos 

deste Memorando sera ̃o do domı ́nio pu ́blico e publicados, se os fundos assim o 

permitirem. Se houver conflito entre o Anexo do Projeto e este Memorando, os 

termos deste Memorando prevalecera ̃o.

Artigo VIII. Vigeˆncia e terminac ̧a ̃o:

Este Memorando entrara ́ em vigor ao ser assinado por ambas as Partes e vigera ́

por cinco (5) anos. Sera ́ automaticamente prorrogado por perı ́odos consecutivos 

de um (1) ano, salvo se terminado mediante notificac ̧a ̃o, por escrito, com 

antecedeˆncia mı ́nima de 90 dias a` outra Parte. Podera ́ ser terminado a qualquer 

momento por qualquer Parte mediante notificac ̧a ̃o, por escrito, com antecedeˆncia 

mı ́nima de 90 dias a` outra Parte. A terminac ̧a ̃o deste Memorando na ̃o afetara ́

a validade ou durac ̧a ̃o de projetos nos termos do mesmo que tenham sido 

iniciados antes de tal terminac ̧a ̃o.
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Feito em Reston, Virgı ́nia, em duas vias, em ingleˆs e portugueˆs, sendo ambos 

os textos igualmente auteˆnticos.

PELO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DO 

DEPARTAMENTO DO INTERIOR 

DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS: 

PELA COMPANHIA DE PESQUISA 

DE RECURSOS MINERAIS DO 

MINISTE ́RIO DAS MINAS E 

ENERGIA DA REPU ́ BLICA 

FEDERATIVA DO BRASIL: 

Barbara J. Ryan Carlos Oiti Berbert

Assinatura Assinatura

Barbara J. Ryan Carlos Oiti Berbert

Nome Nome

Associate Director Presidente

Tı ́tulo Tı ́tulo

January 17, 1997 31 Janeiro, 1997

Data Data