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CLOSING SESSION:
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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.
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Above photo: Joe
Cobbinah (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa, PROTO),
announced the survey of plant resources in tropical
Africa.
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Above photo: Cleto Ndikumagenge (CSAG), described the
cooperation between CSAG and ITTC particularly in the areas of
transparency of trade and illegal logging.
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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.
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Ghana
welcomed the election of the new ITTC Chair, Alhassan Attah
(Ghana).
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The Republic of Congo welcomed the decision on having a Congo
Basin Partnership side event at ITTC-38 |
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Manoel Sobral Filho, ITTO Executive Director, informed
delegates that US $10 million had been pledged for project
financing at this Council session
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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.
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Koichi Ito (Japan), ITTC Vice-Chair for 2005, noted
that SFM continues to be among the top priorities of Japanese
environmental international cooperation.
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Above photos: Al Hassan Attah (Ghana), ITTC Chair for
2005
presented a gift to Jan McAlpine outgoing ITTC
Chair.
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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.
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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.
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ittc-37
ENB SNAPSHOTS:
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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)
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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 |
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