Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme strengthens cooperation between Colombia and the Netherlands
Colombia welcomed the visit of Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, the Netherlands’ Special Envoy for Climate. His presence in the country aimed to strengthen collaboration between Colombia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the fight against climate change.
During his visit to Colombia, climate envoy Jaime de Bourbon de Parme focused on climate adaptation, forest conservation, and biodiversity. He explored Dutch-supported initiatives for ecosystem preservation, facilitated knowledge exchange, and identified key opportunities to strengthen bilateral environmental collaboration.
The Special Envoy met with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Mines and Energy to discuss the upcoming biodiversity summit and COP30 agenda priorities in Brazil. The meetings focused on aligning strategies and strengthening cooperation on climate action and sustainability.
Indigenous knowledge drive forest restoration
In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, he had the opportunity to observe a forest conservation and restoration project led by the Dutch organization Sacred Forest founded by Rituals, in collaboration with the Indigenous Arhuaco people. This initiative consists in the restoration of 200,000 hectares, and integrates the ancestral knowledge of local communities into forest regeneration practices. Additionally, the NGO Conexión presented ecotourism and economic empowerment initiatives led by young farmers and Indigenous communities, supported by Dutch seed money. The important role of local and indigenous communities for biodiversity conservation became very clear.
Production, Protection, and Inclusion Pact
During his visit to Magdalena, he saw the progress of the Production, Protection, and Inclusion (PPI) Pact, an initiative by IDH Colombia’s Sustainable Landscapes program that promotes sustainability and social inclusion in coffee, banana, and palm oil supply chains. He also learned about the NISCOPS program, supported by the Netherlands and the UK, which fosters sustainable palm oil production and the implementation of the EUDR. Implemented by Solidaridad Network and IDH Colombia, this program helps small-scale producers adopt sustainable practices while improving their incomes.
Dutch-Colombian agreement on climate and water resilience
Additionally, during a meeting with the Mayor of Cartagena, Dumek Turbay, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on climate adaptation and water resilience, it aims to develop sustainable solutions through programs such as Water as Leverage.
Jaime de Bourbon de Parmes visit to Colombia not only strengthens the Dutch commitment to sustainability in the country but also highlights the significance of the projects and initiatives supported by the Netherlands and the importance of international collaboration in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.
More information
If you would like to know more about these initiatives, or want to get in touch with the Agricultural & Biodiversity team, please contact us on bog-lvvn@minbuza.nl (for Colombia and Ecuador) or lim-lvvn@minbuza.nl (for Peru).