IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from ITTC-54.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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ITTC-54 Chair Zhang Zhongtian presents a framed gavel to ITTC-55 Chair John Leigh

Gerhard Breulmann, ITTO Secretariat, and Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO

Arsene Ewossaka, Congo, with Richard Gbadoe Edjidomele, Togo

Delegates from Producer countries during negotiations

Delegates from the EU

Delegates from Indonesia

Delegates from Consumer countries during negotiations

Session Chair Sheamala Satkuru, ITTO Secretariat

Delphine Ahoussi, President, MALEBI

Group photo of some participants of the Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management

Makiko Uemoto, Japan

Christine Dawson, US

Jorge Malleux Orjeda, Peru, and Polycarpe Masupa Kambale, ITTO Secretariat

Highlights for Wednesday, 7 November 2018

From L-R: Sheamala Satkuru, Gerhard Breulmann, and Ramón Carrillo, ITTO Secretariat

On Day 3, delegates held extensive consultations throughout the day on decision text setting out the procedure for selecting the ITTO Executive Director.

In the afternoon and evening, work continued in the Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management (CRF), the Committee on Finance and Administration (CFA) and the joint Committee on Economics, Statistics and Markets, and Forest Industry (CEM-CFI).

The Chairperson’s Open-Ended Drafting Group on financial matters and various informal working groups also met throughout the day.

Anna Tyler, New Zealand

Jorge Malleux Orjeda, Peru

From L-R: Hwan Ok-Ma, ITTO Secretariat; Committee Vice-Chair Jobst-Michael Schröder, Germany; and Polycarpe Masupa Kambale, ITTO Secretariat

John Leigh, Peru

Argyro Zerva, EU

Jennifer Conje, US

Sheamala Satkuru, ITTO Secretariat

Highlights for Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO

Discussions on the morning of the second day of ITTC-54 focused on progress in implementing the Biennial Work Programme (BWP) for 2018-2019. The discussions highlighted a number of project reports as well as new initiatives, including:

• A World Bank report on incentives for green-growth value chain investments in tropical forests;
• An initiative to establish legal and sustainable forest product supply chains at the international level involving leading Chinese timber companies;
• Preliminary findings from the 2017-2018 Biennial Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation;
• Collaboration between ITTO and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and,
• Revision of the ITTO Restoration Guidelines.

In the afternoon, during the joint session of the Committees, delegates received the Report of the 53rd Expert Panel for Technical Appraisal of Project Proposals and engaged with the ITTO Annual Market Discussion, organized by the Trade Advisory Group (TAG). It was followed by a launch event for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Teak Forests and Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains in the Mekong Region.

The day closed with meetings of the Committee on Finance and Administration (CFA) and Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management (CRF).

Katharina Kuehmayer, and Yves-Marie Leonet, EU

Emmanuelle Maire and Argyro Zerva, EU

Delegates from Peru during the Council Session

Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO, and Matthias Schwoerer, Germany, launching the project on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Teak Forests and Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains in the Mekong Region

Highlights for Monday, 5 November 2018

Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), and Zhang Zhongtian, Chair of ITTC-54

The fifty-fourth session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-54), and the Associated Sessions of the four Committees (Finance and Administration; Economics, Statistics and Markets; Forest Industry; and Reforestation and Forest Management) opened on Monday, 5 November 2018 in Yokohama, Japan.

In the morning, following introductory remarks by ITTC Chair Zhang Zhongtian, opening statements were made by: Alain-Richard Donwahi, Minister of Water and Forests, Ivory Coast; Félix Ngoma, Ambassador of Republic of Congo to Japan; Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana; Katsunori Watanabe, Deputy Mayor, City of Yokohama, Japan; Koji Hongo, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan; Hiroto Mitsugi, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); and Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO.

The Council formally welcomed Venezuela as the newest ITTO member, which brings the total membership to 36 Producing and 38 Consuming member countries.

In the morning and afternoon, Council members heard progress reports from the ITTO Executive Director and the Informal Advisory Group (IAG), and began consideration of agenda items relating to financial matters, including the status of implementation of Council decisions relating to the impairment of ITTO funds and recommendations from the Ad hoc Working Group on Financing Infrastructure and Fundraising Strategies.

The Committees for Finance and Administration (CFA), and Economics, Statistics and Markets and Forest Industry (CEM-CFI) also convened during the afternoon.

In the evening delegates attended a reception hosted by the Government of Japan.

+ Visit the web coverage for Monday, 5 November 2018

Zhang Zhongtian, Chair of ITTC-54

Alain-Richard Donwahi, Minister of Water and Forests, Ivory Coast

Ambassador Félix Ngoma, Republic of Congo

Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana

Katsunori Watanabe, Deputy Mayor, City of Yokohama, Japan

Koji Hongo, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan

Hiroto Mitsugi, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)

Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO

From L-R: Koji Hongo, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan; Alain-Richard Donwahi, Minister of Water and Forests, Ivory Coast; Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO; Ambassador Félix Ngoma, Republic of Congo; Zhang Zhongtian, Chair of ITTC-54; Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana; and Katsunori Watanabe, Deputy Mayor, City of Yokohama, Japan

Cécile Ndjebet, The African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), Cameroon (sedond from left)