IISD Reporting Services at ITTC-34, 12-17 May 2003, Panama City, Panama

IISD Reporting Services
at ITTC-34

Earth Negotiations Bulletin:
ENB will provide a daily report on negotiations at the ITTC-34. This website brings you daily coverage, with images and Real Audio.

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12 May
13 May
14 May
15 May
16 May
17 May
SUMMARY

34th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council and Associated Sessions of the Committees
12 - 17 May 2003 Panama City, Panama

Daily Web Coverage	\|Curtain\|	\|Mon 12\|	\|Tue 13\|	\|Wed 14\|	\|Thu 15\|	\|Fri 16\|	\|Sat 17\|
Français	\|Rideau\|	\|Lun 12\|	\|Mar 13\|	\|Mer 14\|	\|Jeu 15\|	\|Ven 16\|	\|Sam 17\|
Español		\|Lun 12\|	\|Mar 13\|	\|Mié 14\|	\|Jue 15\|	\|Vie 16\|	\|Sáb 17\|

Highlights for Friday, 16 May 2003

Delegates to ITTC-34 convened in Council, committee, and drafting group sessions. The Council addressed sustainable forest management (SFM) in the Congo Basin. The Chairperson’s Open-Ended Drafting Group (left) discussed 11 draft decisions on, inter alia, negotiations for a successor agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA, 1994), criteria and indicators (C&I) for SFM, cooperation with CITES on mahogany, and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber. The Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management (CRF) and the Committee on Finance and Administration (CFA) considered their reports. The Committee on Economic Information and Market Intelligence (CEM) and the Committee on Forest Industry (CFI) convened jointly to address other matters and consider their report.

Council Session:

Jeffrey Sayer (left), Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development, presented the results of the report on the workshop to develop a regional applied research programme focusing on social, economic, and environmental aspects of Tropical Forest Management (ITTC(XXXIV)/11). He expressed the need for continued research in this area and for improved forest research capacity in the Congo Basin.

FRANCE said that it has been, and will continue to be, involved in research activities in the Congo Basin and urged others to provide much needed long-term research funding.

The US noted that the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) establishes a platform to deal with forest research issues at the regional and national levels and that ITTO has been integral in enabling the CBFP.

GABON said the Council must give special attention to training forest managers, using its expertise in SFM.

CAMEROON said that since SFM training is often quite weak, an improved training curriculum is needed at the forestry school level, and that linkages with the ministry and universities are indispensable.

ITTC Chair Freezailah (left) introduced statements from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) on linkages between those organizations and ITTO.

C.T.S. Nair (FAO) outlined joint SFM initiatives between FAO and ITTO. He highlighted jointly organized regional workshops enhancing countries’ capacities regarding data collection, processing and reporting.

Mahindra Joshi (UNFF) (left) highlighted UNFF’s policy to support cooperation and collaboration among partner organizations dealing with forests, and he commended ITTO on its active role in the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

Committee on Economic Information and Market Intelligence (CEM) and Committee on Forest Industry (CFI)

CEM/CFI Chair Fídel Reyes Lee (Guatemala) opened the last CEM/CFI session, highlighting the importance of today’s and tomorrow’s decisions in achieving Objective 2000 and implementing the Yokahama Action Plan.

Noting a lack of available information on forest-related trade activities that individual countries can undertake, the US suggested that the Secretariat develop relevant information on the ITTO website.

Committee on Finance and Administration

The Committee on Finance and Administration approved its Report to the ITTC with minor amendments.

Chairperson’s Open-Ended Drafting Group
The drafting group negotiated into the night on issues relating to the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber and relating to certification.

ENB Snapshots: Chairperson’s Open-Ended Drafting Group