The Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management discussed items in the biennial work programme for 2006-2007, including resource allocations for an FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission short course on forest policy, regional level implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM) through ITTO supported projects and effective enforcement of forest laws and regulations that ensure SFM and secure the production base. Delegates also reviewed projects and pre-projects in progress.

Left photo L-R: CRF Chair Jennifer Conje (US), CRF Vice-Chair Petrus Gunarso (Indonesia) and John Leigh (ITTO)

The US reported on projects selected for ex-post evaluation, noting the selected projects achieve, inter alia, a balance between regions and topics and cover projects that are nearing sunset. He indicated that the Committee selected projects under two major themes, training and community participation.

Above photo: Guy Robertson (US)

Patricia Tobón (Colombia), presented on a project designed to explore alternative financing for forest management, including under the Clean Development Mechanism.

P.C. Kotwal (India), reported that a project designed to achieve SFM and increase forest cover in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh had been successfully completed on time and under budget.

India cautioned that a proposed workshop on obtaining carbon credits under the CDM from natural forest may be premature.






Above photo: Bipin Behari (India)

Norway, along with the the Netherlands, the Philippines, the US, Germany, and India volunteered to take part in a  working group that will review the terms of reference for reviewing the ITTO/IUCN guidelines on biodiversity.




Above photo: Jan Abrahamsen (Norway)

The Netherlands suggested that the composition of the workshop on reviewing the ITTO/IUCN guidelines on biodiversity should include the private sector.





Above photo: Flip Van Helden (The Netherlands)

Above photo L-R: View of the presentation on downstreaming; The CEM/CFI, chaired by Celestine Ntsame-Okwo (CFI, Gabon) and James Gasana (CEM, Switzerland) met on Wednesday to discussed policy work on downstream processing and market studies, and reviewed terms of reference for studies on certification.

Lachlan Hunter, ITTO Consultant, presented a report on downstream processing in which furniture production is a major opportunity for tropical timber producers, but resource insecurity is a problem hindering its development.

Ole Pedersen and Pierre Desclos, ITTO Consultants made a presentation on review of timber market in France in which competitiveness issues are contentious, particularly certification of tropical timber.

Above photos L-R: Ole Pedersen, ITTO Consultant; Pierre Desclos with Ole Pedersen.

Papua New Guinea said that the pre-project on enhancing downstream processing reflects the actual Papua New Guinea situation, where processing is on a minor scale and forestry resource depletion is a major problem.



Above photo: Magdalene Maihua (Papua New Guinea) 

In the terms of reference for a study on certification, New Zealand observed that there is now a reference to “illegal logging” in the preamble, and this text should be added to an operative paragraph.




Above photo: Charlotte Cudby (New Zealand)

Malaysia stressed the importance of outputs of the pre-project on enhancing downstream processing on the timber industry in Malaysia , including: value addition, employment, income multipliers, and technical linkages with other sectors.


Above photo: Norini Haron (Malaysia)

The US introduced the text of a terms of reference for a policy work on certification, agreed by a working group.






Above photo: Brian Woodward (US)

On Wednesday, the Council considered agenda items on CITES listing proposals by members, and decisions and report of the session.

The EU has identified CITES listings of tropical timber as an area where ITTO has a comparative advantage, with its SFM programs, and suggested that many donors will be interested in the proposal.

Papua New Guinea said that the process of CITES listing of tropical timber species is critical for range states, who need to see the trade implications and need to build capacity for following CITES requirements.

Indonesia announced that it is consulting with other range states to identify new species for CITES listing.

On key policy work, Jürgen Blaser, Chair of the ITTA, 1994 renegotiations, indicated that the progress made during ITTC-39 informal consultations will help find compromise at the Fourth Part of the ITTA, 1994 renegotiations (ITTA-4). He noted that delegates agreed not to have a separate Work Programme Account as part of the ITTO Financial Accounts but that key policy work would be funded through the assessed Administrative Account.

Above photo:  Jürgen Blaser (Switzerland)

Brazil, on behalf of the Producer Group, noted that Article 19 on the Administrative Account is the crucial part of ITTA, 1994 and that issues of voluntary funding for the Special Account remain unresolved.









Above photo: Luiz Gasser (Brazil)

Finland, on behalf of the Consumer Group, said it understood producer countries’ frustrations over the lack of financing for projects and would need to find agreement on funding issues based on their governments’ approach to development financing.








Above photo: Aulikki Kauppila (Finland)

The EU said progress made during ITTC-40 could lead to a solution at ITTA-4 and reaffirmed its financial commitment to the new Agreement.











Above photo:  Enzo Barattini (European Community)