ENB @ ITTA-4, 16-27 January 2006, Geneva, Switzerland (24 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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Highlights from Tuesday, 24 January 2006

Negotiations at the UN Conference on the Negotiation of the Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 (ITTA, 1994), Fourth Part moved forward in achieving agreement on a number of key issues. Delegates met all day in two working groups. Working Group I (WGI) managed to secure agreement on Preamble and articles on Decisions and Recommendations of the Council and Special Vote. Working Group II (WGII) discussed finance articles, agreed on reference to special vote in numerous articles, and broke into a contact group on entry into force.

Working Group I

WGI got off to a fast start approving Article 12 and clearing all paragraphs referencing special vote, slowed down to through obstacles requiring more time or additional consultation and staggered to a halt on the surprising issue of the term “governments” in the EC Membership.

Simone Meira Dias, Brazil, favored maintaining reference in the Preamble to the need for “enhanced” and “predictable” financial resources from a broad donor community to help achieving the Agreement’s Objectives

Stephanie Caswell, US, proposed to clean the text to “the Council may adjust the minimum percentage required for a special vote by consumer members if it deems it necessary,” and noted that it refers only to Consumers

James K. Gasana, Switzerland, requested that Chair Attah clarified that Article 15 includes civil society participation

Regarding the Sessions of the Council, Miyano Michiko, Japan, preferred deleting “at least” to limit the number of regular sessions

On Admission of Observers, Ouro - Djeri Essowe, Togo, suggested deleting mention of Article 20 and 29

Sheam Satkuru-Granzella, Malaysia, stressed that reference to certification had prejudiced other trade agreements

Left to right: Stephanie Caswell, US, James Gasana, Switzerland, and Jacques Borel, Switzerland

Left to right: Flip van Helden, Netherlands, and John Bazill, European Commission

Malaysian delegation discuss with WGI Chair. Left to right: Fredua Agyeman, Ghana, Sheam Satkuru-Granzella, Malaysia, WGI Chair Alhassan Attah, Ghana, and Aziyah Mdhd, Malaysia

Left to right: Flip van Helden, Netherlands, Sheam Satkuru-Granzella, Malaysia, and Wan Zaidi Bin Wan Abdullah, Malaysia

Left to right: Erika del Rocio López Rojas, Mexico, and Aziyah Mdhd, Malaysia

Left to right: Sheam Satkuru-Granzella, Malaysia, Iwan Krolis, Suriname, and Bjorg Merethe Luis, Norway

Working Group II

Working Group II discussed finances; amendments to the agreement; establishing or dissolving commitees; legal issues such as signature, ratification and entry into force; and the application of “Special Vote” to articles on project activities, relief from obligations, exclusion, duration, extension and termination.

WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser introduced a contact group’s compromise text describing the Administrative Account and assessment of contributions to it. Left to right: WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland, and Lisanne Losier, UNCTAD

Participants during the Working Group II

On assesment of contributions, Daniel Birchmeier, Switzerland, called for further consideration of his original proposal of 40-60 ratio between Producer and Consumer contributions

On Administrative Account, Zhang Kening, China, proposed alternative text on using the ratio applied to Producer members for assessment of developing Consumer country contributions

Enzo Barattini, European Commission, highlighted links between sub-paragraphs on a cap and on differentiated shares for Producers and Consumers, noting that if the cap were increased to 20% then the sharing ratio should remain at 70-30

Marcel Vernooij, Netherlands, opposed a proposal by Mexico that called for returning to the text of ITTA, 1994 on the article on Entry into Force

David Brooks, US, supported JAPAN’s proposal for a 50% cap, and expressed openness to a compromise at 40%

On Entry into Force, Ramón Carrillo Arrellane, Mexico, called for returning to the text of the ITTA, 1994

On terminating sponsorship of any pre-project or project, Alain Ngoya-Kessy, Congo, favored deciding by either consensus or simple majority vote

On Entry into Force, Fredua Agyeman, Ghana, called for informal consultations and Chair Blaser appointed a contact group to report back on Wednesday, 25 January

Mbella Mbella, Cameroon, called for compromise by all parties, noting that the negotiations were in the home stretch. He also noted that that time is of the essence and was running against the negotiators

Petrus Gunarso, Indonesia, preferred a 20-80 ratio and deletion of language on capping

Hideo Fukushima, Japan, said that any cap should give Council the ability to manage the consideration of the budget

On Administrative Account, Brazil, for Producers, preferred a 20-80 ratio proposed by President Paranhos in the contact group on Monday, 23 January. Left to right: Luiz Cesar Gasser, Brazil and Tasso Azevedo, Brazil.

On Special Vote, Freezailah Che Yeom, Malaysia, cautioned that terminating a project may be very disruptive

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Links

UNCTAD’s website for the ITTA, 1994 renegotiation, 4th part. Includes the provisional agenda and supporting documents
ITTO Secretariat
UNFF Website
FAO
UNFF Secretariat
UNFCCC Secretariat
CBD Secretariat
ENB coverage of ITTC-39
ENB coverage of the UN Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the ITTA, 1994 - Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
YMB summary of the Country-Led Initiative “Scoping for a Future Agreement on Forests”, 16-18 November 2005, Berlin, Germany (HTML, PDF, TEXT)
ENB summary from UNFF-5: (English: HTML, PDF, TEXT) (Spanish: HTML, PDF, TEXT) (French: HTML, PDF, TEXT)
YMB summary from the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Conference, 6-8 June, 2005 Moscow, Russia: (HTML, PDF, TEXT)
YMB coverage the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Conference, 22-25 November 2005, St. Petersburg, Russia
ENB archives of forestry meetings

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