Highlights and images for 27 October 2025

Effective tropical forest management is a critical component in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Sheam Satkuru, Executive Director, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), urged delegates to the 61st Session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) to showcase these contributions.  

Speaking at the opening, ITTC-61 Chair Carlos Espinosa Peña stressed the ITTO’s work in mobilizing finance that promotes market sustainability for tropical forest products, and invited producing and consuming countries to renew their cooperation as the process moves towards renegotiation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), 2006.  

Jorge Mario Rodríguez Zúñiga, Vice-Minister of the Environment, Costa Rica, noted the ITTO’s role in translating environmental commitments to tangible results related to public policy, national forest inventories, value addition, and production of certified timber.  

Roberto Hernán Seminario Portocarrero, Ambassador of Peru to Japan, praised the ITTO’s collective efforts in forest conservation, sustainable production, and capacity building. He noted Peru’s implementation of more than 60 ITTO-funded projects.  

Hendra Halim, Ambassador of Indonesia to Panama, highlighted the role of the ITTO in supporting collaboration, synergy, and creativity among countries, noting the need to align the ITTA with global challenges.  

Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of the Environment, Panama, emphasized the global tropical forest crisis and urged joint action, stressing that the ITTO is irreplaceable. He noted forests’ vital role in climate mitigation, biodiversity, and livelihoods.  

Speakers also urged enhancing engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to achieve socially fair and viable trade in tropical timber.    

The Council also considered the report of the Preparatory Working Group (PWG) on elements to consider for future negotiations on the replacement of ITTA, 2006. Vaneska Bethancourt (Panama), Co-Chair of the PWG on Decision 4(LX), the report suggests considering:

• a successor agreement with an open-ended duration, with periodic reviews;
• a broader mandate that includes non-wood forest products and environmental services like biodiversity and carbon credits; and 
• extension of the PWG’s mandate for nine months leading to a first in-person Preparatory Committee to support renegotiation.

The Committee on Finance and Administration (CFA) met in the afternoon and addressed, among other things: the draft biennial administrative budget for 2026 and 2027; review of contributions to the administrative budgets; current status of the administrative account; auditor’s report for the financial year 2024; and extension of the tenure of a senior management staff member. 

Many Members expressed concern about the number of countries in arrears with their assessed contributions, but praised the Secretariat’s efforts to reduce these arrears. Members also discussed the cost and efficiency of meetings, with the Secretariat underscoring the proposal to align the PWG meeting with ITTC-62 and raising the possibility of reducing the number of ITTC meeting days to make attendance more cost-efficient for Members. 

The Committees on Economics, Statistics and Markets (CEM), and on Forest Industry (CFI) met jointly to consider, among other things: new project and pre-projects; review of project and pre-projects in progress; report on completed projects; and ex-post evaluation of projects. On their completed project on “Strengthening Forest Monitoring and Extending the Coverage of the Traceability System in Panama,” Panama described project impacts related to public outreach efforts, integrating traceability training at multiple levels of ministry actors, and improving connectivity to remote rural areas.