Jan McAlpine (US), ITTC-37 Chair, opened the meeting by welcoming delegates and observers. She noted that over the past decade ITTO has developed an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation and is capable of addressing sensitive issues such as illegal logging.

Hiroshi Nakada, Mayor of Yokohama, noted the importance of the successor agreement to the ITTA, 1994 and expressed hope that Yokohama would continue to host the ITTO.

Manoel Sobral Filho, ITTO Executive Director, identified that the most important challenge facing negotiators of the successor agreement to the ITTA, 1994 is financing the organization’s work.

Naoto Maeda, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, noted that illegally logged timber impedes the achievement of SFM.

Emile Doumba, Ministry of Forest Economy of Gabon, noted that SFM will be among the major themes of the Conference of Ministers in Charge of Central African Forests (COMIFAC),

Shigeki Sumi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, called for increased funding by all members to support ITTO projects and the work in support of the successor agreement to the ITTA, 1994.

Above photo L-R: The dais during the Joint Committee Session with Emanuel Ze Meka (ITTO), Astrid Bergquist (Sweden), Chris Ellis (US), A.S.K. Boachie-Dapaah (Ghana), Yeo-Chang Youn (Republic of Korea) and Amha Bin Buang (ITTO)

Ricardo Umali, Chair of the Expert Panel on the Technical Appraisal of Project Proposals, presented the report of the Expert Panel’s twenty-eighth session (CEM,CFE,CRF,CFA(XXXV)/1).

BRAZIL commended the Panel and described its efforts to screen projects, but said there are some inconsistencies in the Panel's evaluations. Above photo: Luiz Gasser (Brazil)

The NETHERLANDS said that the project cycle needs to be more transparent and linked to ITTO objectives. Above photo L-R: Frederik Vossenaar, Flip Van Helden, and Marcel Vernnoij.

GUATEMALA endorsed Brazil’s practice of screening projects. Above right: Luis Ernesto Barrera Garavito (Guatemala)

The ITTO Secretariat described the working group on the effectiveness and efficiency of project work and previous actions taken at ITTC-36. He listed several recommendations of the working group, including the utilization of national clearinghouses, workshops, technical assistance, project guidelines and appraisals. Above photo: Emmanuel Ze Meka (ITTO)

Chris Ellis (US), CFA Chair, noted that an open informal focus group would convene to formulate a draft Council decision concerning project cycle improvements.

Above photo L-R: The dais during the session on CEM-CFI with Jairo Castanos (ITTO), Paul Vantomme (ITTO), Astrid Bergquist (Sweden), Yeo-Chang Youn (Republic of Korea) and Amha Bin Buang (ITTO).

Above photo: Martin Alcade Pineda (Peru) presented on the outcomes of the transboundary conservation and peace project on the borders of Peru and Ecuador. 

Above photo: CRF Chair A.S.K. Boachie-Dapaah (Ghana) with CRF Vice-Chair Jennifer Conje (US)