Highlights and images for 29 October 2025

Wednesday was a day for showcasing the good work carried out under the auspices of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), with countries presenting successes and lessons from their ITTO projects.  

During the meeting of the Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management (CRF), the Secretariat presented on 17 active projects, with a focus on projects that are facing implementation challenges or that may require additional time or financial resources. 

On landscape management of the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu Biosphere reserve, Indonesia described progress and highlighted its ambition to carry out an additional phase. Costa Rica presented on increasing the competitiveness of commercial reforestation through environmental service financing, silvicultural training handbooks, and product value addition. Guatemala noted cross-country learning opportunities with Costa Rica. 

Colombia provided an overview of a pilot project on sustainable management systems for secondary natural forests in the collective Afro-descendant community territory of the Bajo Calima Community Council. He highlighted the establishment of 35 hectares of secondary forests with enrichment of more than 8,000 native species planted, and the training of more than 50 teachers and community leaders.   

Regarding the project “Emergency Actions to Secure Forest Conservation and Livelihoods of Traditional Communities in the Brazilian Federal Conservation Unit Verde Para Sempre,” Brazil reported that two prior phases of this project were part of the initiatives awarded with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN’s (FAO) Global Technical Recognition for their contribution to sustainable agri-food systems. 

The CRF approved seven project proposals that had been reviewed by the Expert Panel, comprising one project each in Brazil, Peru, and Guatemala, and two each in Togo and Benin. It also declared four projects completed: 

• Enhancing Capacity of Local Communities and Forest Administration to Effectively Implement Community Forestry Programme (CFP) in Karatie and Mondulikiri Provinces of Cambodia, highlighting a successful community-based microcredit activity; 
• Providing support for the Sustainable Management of the Fosse-aux-Lions Gazetted Forest in the Savannah Region in Togo, highlighting the role of boundary marking in reducing conflict; 
• Support for Women's Groups with the Restoration of Forest Landscapes in Blitta and Lacs Prefectures, Togo; and 
• Community-based Restoration of Cyclone-Affected Vulnerable Mangrove Forests through the Empowerment of Coastal Communities and Women in Rewa Delta, Fiji. 

In a joint session of the four associated Committees, Members heard presentations on the ex-post evaluations of two projects. Marysol Jaime-Arteaga, Consultant, presented the ex-post evaluation of the project “Capacity Building for Sustainable Management of Tropical Dry Forests in the North Coast of Peru.” She underlined that the project was an operational success, as it had achieved all its deliverables within time and budget. Jaime-Arteaga, however, noted that the project did not lead to long-term transformation, as it could not overcome deep-seated economic and governance barriers. She underscored that systemic change requires programmatic longer-term investments that allow for piloting, learning, and scaling. 

On the project “Capacity Building for Implementing Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains (LSSC) in the Congo Basin Countries,” Jean Marcial Bell, Consultant, noted that materials were well-developed and high quality, but that dissemination was ineffective, with few of the 80 trainees recalling or applying the content three years after the training. He reported that individuals underscored that they did not have financial resources to implement the learnings in their positions and that they had limited ability to influence others within their office.  

In the evening, members began discussions on the process that will guide the negotiation of the next International Tropical Timber Agreement.