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Thirty-seventh Session of the International Tropical Timber Council and Associated Sessions of the Committees


13-18 December 2004, Yokohama, Japan



 Earth Negotiations Bulletin - ENB
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 Sat 18  &
SUMMARY
 

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ENB Summary
Compte Rendu
du BNT

 

 

 

 

Highlights for Saturday, 18 December 2004

 

On Saturday morning, delegates convened in in Council to adopt decisions on projects, CITES and on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the project cycle.

Above photo: Producers group in consultation regarding the inclusion of an extra day to discuss substantive issues at the upcoming ITTC Council session in Brazzaville, Congo.


CLOSING SESSION:


In keeping with the amicable tone that has come to characterize the ITTO over the last decade, ITTC-37 unfolded without any real contention. In this regard, delegates were able to make swift agreement on a decision to enhance cooperation between the ITTO and CITES for ramin and mahogany, and experienced only minor delays in formulating a decision on improving the effectiveness of the ITTO project cycle. Of course, with the negotiation of the successor agreement to the ITTA, 1994 in full swing, one might expect that the negotiations might slow down the routine work of the organization. However, this did not seem to be the case at ITTC-37. The overall sense at ITTO is that there is much to gain by giving the ITTO greater visibility within the international community. By all accounts, this appears to be happening. Delegates to ITTC-37 approved 25 projects and 5 pre-projects and pledged US $10 million for project financing.

Above photo L-R: Al Hassan Attah, ITTC-37 Vice-Chair, Jan McAlpine, ITTC-37 Chair and Manoel Sobral Filho, ITTO Executive Director.


Above photo: Joe Cobbinah (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa, PROTO), announced the survey of plant resources in tropical Africa. 


Above photo: Cleto Ndikumagenge (CSAG), described the cooperation between CSAG and ITTC particularly in the areas of transparency of trade and illegal logging.



Above photo L-R: Y. Bhg. Dato’ Dr. Freezailah bin Che Yeom, talked about the Objective 2000, Bali Partnership fund, certification and the Successor Agreement; Luiz Gasser spokesperson for the Producer Group in consultation with Aulikki Kauppila, spokesperson for the Consumer Group. Aulikki Kauppila, also expressed the Consumer Caucus’s view that the improvement of ITTO’s project cycle will contribute to its good reputation and ability to attract more funds.



Ghana welcomed the election of the new ITTC Chair, Alhassan Attah (Ghana). 


The Republic of Congo welcomed the decision on having a Congo Basin Partnership side event at ITTC-38


Manoel Sobral Filho
, ITTO Executive Director, informed delegates that US $10 million had been pledged for project financing at this Council session


Al Hassan Attah (Ghana), ITTC Chair for 2005, said that all people have a common cause to sustainably manage forests and associated trade to ensure the flow of benefits to all segments of society.


Koichi Ito (Japan), ITTC Vice-Chair for 2005, noted that SFM continues to be among the top priorities of Japanese environmental international cooperation.



Above photos:
Al Hassan Attah (Ghana), ITTC Chair for 2005 presented a gift to Jan McAlpine outgoing ITTC Chair.  



Jan McAlpine (US), outgoing ITTC Chair, presented some of ITTO’s positive achievements over the years, namely its: increased visibility and recognition around the world, leadership on trade issues within the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and improved relationship with CITES, FAO and civil society.


Above photos: Jan McAlpine, ITTC-37 Chair gavelled the meeting to a close at 2:08 +9GMT; Chair McAlpine with daughter Ana McAlpine at the conclusion of the meeting.  

ittc-37 ENB SNAPSHOTS:  


Above photos L-R: Bill Singleton and Sandra Ribey (Canada); Utako Aoike (ITTO); David Brooks (US), James Gassana (Switzerland), Alastair Sarre (ITTO) and Jürgen Blaser (Switzerland)


Above photo L-R: Manako Hanawa (ITTO), David Brooks (US) in consultation with Aulikki Kauppila (Finland); Chair Jan McAlpine and ITTO Executive Director Manoel Sobral Filho


Links |

ITTO website, with provisional program, documents
for the meeting, and information about the ITTO.
ENB summary from ITTC-36: (HTML, PDF, TEXT).
ENB summary from ITTC-35: (HTML, PDF, TEXT).
ENB summary from ITTA: English (HTML, PDF, TEXT) - French (PDF).
Linkages forests, desertification and land issues page,
including a brief introduction to global forest policy. 
UNFF Secretariat

 
 

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