In the last few years, Brazil has amplified its actions to preserve its forests, as well as to improve regulation, monitoring, audit, technical assistance, training, credit availability, and incentives for sustainable production. The defense of this natural asset remains a commitment for the next decades. The preservation of the environment is an important objective. The modernization of Brazil’s defense structure is vital for protecting this enormous asset. The preservation of the environment in general, and the conservation of tropical rainforests and other biomes are responsibilities shared by government agencies in the municipal, state and federal levels. The Ministry of Defense is aware of its responsibility to contribute to the preservation, control and maintenance of the country’s forest areas. Foreign and Defense Policies The foreign and defense policies are complementary and inseparable. The maintenance of regional stability and the construction of a more cooperative international environment are in Brazil’s interest and will be favored by the joint action of the Ministry of Defense (MD) and the Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE). The National Defense Policy (PND), the National Defense Strategy (END) and the Defense White Paper (LBDN) are historic milestones for the establishment and dissemination of the foundations and parameters of our defense. Policy and Strategy determine responsibilities in promoting the national, particularly in with regard to the country’s development and security. They evince a need for strengthening dialogue mechanisms between the MD and the MRE, in terms of sharing intelligence and joint planning. In the global level, the close participation of military officers and diplomats in multilateral forums (South American Defense Council and political-military dialogues) increases the country’s foreign policy and defense capacity to anticipate, in a coherent and strategic way, the international system and its governance structures, thus facilitating the defense of Brazilian interests abroad. This joint action must aim at diverse partnerships, in order to strengthen relationships among developing countries, without doing harm to DEFENSE WHITE PAPER 51 CHAPTER 2 — THE 21st CENTURY STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT Brazil’s actions in forums on forests, especially in the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), is aimed at strengthening international cooperation among states in order to increase the capacity of all states, especially those in development, to contribute to the protection, preservation and sustainable management of their forest resources. Brazil does not renounce its autonomy of decision-making regarding the formulation of public policies on the preservation and sustainable development of its forest resources.