ENB @ ITTA-4, 16-27 January 2006, Geneva, Switzerland (20 Jan.)

United Nations Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, 4th part

16–27 January 2006 | Geneva, Switzerland

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Curtain Raiser
Mon 16
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Wed 18
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Fri 20
Mon 23
Tue 24
Wed 25
Thu 26
Fri 27 & SUMMARY

Highlights from Friday, 20 January 2006

At the end of the first week of the UN Conference for the Negotiation of the Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 (ITTA, 1994), Fourth Part, delegates have been able to achieve consensus on several key issues. For Working Group I (WGI), these include major aspects of the Objectives, such as inclusion of environmental services and non-timber forest products. In Working Group II, significant ground was gained with regards to aspects of the special account and the Bali Partnership Fund. In the afternoon, delegates convened in a Joint Working Group and plenary, but they were unable to resolve several outstanding issues.

Working Group I

WGI’s morning session produced breakthroughs within the preamble and objectives, but delegates were unable to finalize articles on Council sessions.

WGI Chair Alhassan Attah asked Producers and Consumers to be more flexible and reach agreement in outstanding issues

Left to right: WGI Chair Alhassan Attah, Ghana, Zoraa Amijee, UNCTAD, Carlos Moreno Mericaechevarria, UNCTAD Legal Adviser

Stephanie Caswell, US, said “strategies” should identify an objective and proposed “for sustainable forest management”

John Bazill, European Commission, said if Switzerland maintains its position, the EU would favor bracketing the entire paragraph

Regarding NTFPs and ecological services, James K. Gasana, Switzerland, agreed to delete reference to these terms in the chapeau of Objectives

Juan Carlos Gonzales Ortega, Venezuela, opposed deleting “Producers” from the provision of expertise needed to enhance the capacity of Producer members to attain the Agreement’s objectives

Regarding the provision of expertise needed to enhance the capacity of Producer members to attain the Agreement’s objectives, Hoda S. Rashed, Egypt, preferred deleting “Producer” from the text

On noting the need to improve the standard of living and working conditions within the forest sector, Inga Magistad, Norway, proposed, and delegates agreed, to a text that takes into account relevant internationally recognized principles on these matters and relevant ILO Conventions and instruments

During informal consultations Producers sought consensus on strengthening the capacity of Producer members in the context of SFM

WGI broke into informal groups for consultation on Objectives

Working Group II

Working Group II Chair Jürgen Blaser opened the session with discussion of articles on the Special Account and the Bali Partnership Fund. He also called for discussion of the Administrative Account and the article on Statistics, Studies and Information

in the article on the Special Account, Daniel Birchmeier, Switzerland, expresed preference to keep terminology requiring the Executive Director to make reports on allocation of funds at “regular” meetings

Luiz Cesar Gasser, Brazil said that projects approved but not funded should be considered for Special Account funding

Bjorg Merethe Luis, Norway, supported Japan and Switzerland, on the issue of keeping at fifty percent the use income earned as a result of activities related to the Special Account

Joint Working Group

Working Group Chairs lead discussion on the Administrative Account and article on Statistics, Studies and Information.

Stephanie Caswell, US, said “strategies” should identify an objective and proposed “for sustainable forest management”

Mbella Mbella, Cameroon, commented on the chapeau of the Objectives

Inga Magistad, Norway, cautioned against mentioning financial issues in Objectives

John Bazill, European Commission, proposed replacing “wider” with “broad” to describe “donor community,” but consensus was not achieved

Zhang Zhongtian, China, preferred deleting “Producer” from the text regarding the provision of expertise needed to enhance the capacity of Producer members to attain the Agreement’s Objectives

Hoda S. Rashed, Egypt, preferred deleting “Producer” from the text providing expertise needed to enhance the capacity of Producer members to attain the Agreement’s Objectives

Freezailah Che Yeom, Malaysia and Luiz Cesar Gasser, Brazil, discussed issues concerning sustainable managment of tropical timber producing forests

Final Plenary

Amb. Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, President of the UN Conference, opened the plenary session at the end of the afternoon, to hear final reports of the WG I and II, and gave guidance on how to proceed

Left to right: Amb. Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, President of the UN Conference, Lisanne Losier, UNCTAD, WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser, WGI Chair Alhassan Attah and Carlos Moreno Mericaechevarria, Advisor, Legal Services

Around ITTA-4: Morning reading of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin