,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #bfc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #ai1 #bjag ,mr4 ,leahy submitted the   
following resolution2 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 leader4  ,whereas  
,colombia is one of the world's         
megadiverse countries1 hosting close to 
#aj percent of the planet's biodiversity
 and producing an estimated #ae percent 
of the world's oxygen2 ,whereas         
,colombia occupies-- 7#a7 first place   
worldwide in the number of birds and    
orchids2  7#b7 second place in species  
of plants1 amphibians1 butterflies and  
fresh water fish2  7#c7 third place in  
species of palm trees and reptiles2     

7#d7 fourth place in biodiversity of    
mammals2 and  7#e7 fifth place in marine
 and continental ecosystems2  ,whereas  
,colombia's extraordinary mix of        
ecological1 climatic1 and biological    
components are dispersed among its #caa 
ecosystems and #ei protected areas2     
,whereas ,colombia's biodiversity is at 
risk1 mainly because of habitat loss1   
urbanization1 illicit drug cultivation  
and production1 mining and other        
extractive industries1 deforestation1   
and overfishing2 ,whereas on the day of 
his inauguration in #bjaj1 and          
continuously since that date1 ,president
 ,santos has made environmental         
management and resource conservation top
 priorities of the ,colombian           
,government2 ,whereas since his         
inauguration1 #ad1hjj1jjj hectares of   
territory have been incorporated into   
the ,national ,system of ,protected     
,areas1 including ,chiribiquete         
,national ,park1 ,corales de            
,profundidad ,national ,park1 ,acand1   

,playn and ,playona ,wildlife           
,sanctuaries1 and ,baha                 
,portete-,kaurrele ,national ,natural   
,park2 ,whereas ,colombia now has       
#bh1djj1jjj hectares incorporated into  
the ,national ,system of ,protected     
,areas2 ,whereas the ,colombian         
,government approved the establishment  
and expansion of indigenous reserves to 
protect indigenous cultures and curtail 
deforestation of critical ecosystems2   
,whereas the ,colombian ,government     
adopted measures to reduce carbon       
emissions resulting from deforestation  
in the ,colombian ,amazon2 ,whereas the 
,colombian ,government developed a      
national strategy to combat climate     
change2 ,whereas1 through the ,vision   
,amazonia initiative1 the ,colombian    
,government has set an ambitious goal of
 achieving zero net deforestation in the
 ,colombian ,amazon by #bjbj2 ,whereas  
for the first time in #bjaf1 the        
,colombian ,government completed a      
greenhouse gas emissions inventory that 

includes data from both department and  
municipal levels2 and ,whereas ,colombia
 played a primary role in the ,rio#bj   
,conference agenda for a green economy  
and continues to be an active member in 
the international environmental         
dialogue3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that 
it is the sense of the ,senate that--   
7#a7 ,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
 leader2  7#b7 ,president ,santos has   
enhanced public awareness of the        
importance of protecting indigenous     
cultures and of the indispensable role  
of indigenous people in protecting the  
environment2  7#c7 ,president ,santos'  
efforts to protect ,colombia's          
biodiversity will provide lasting       
benefits to future generations of       
,colombians and to the international    
community2 and  7#d7 ,president ,santos 

should be recognized and commended for  
these efforts and achievements4