International Tropical Timber Organization
The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) was established under the International Tropical Timber Agreement, negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It was ratified in 1985. ITTO is an intergovernmental organisation promoting the conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. Its members manage about 80% of the world's tropical forests and are responsible for 90% of the global tropical timber trade.
The International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006 (ITTA 2006) is the treaty that governs the current actions of the ITTO. The main objectives of the ITTA are to promote the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests, and the sustainable management of tropical timber-producing forests.
In relation to the first objective, ITTO, among other things, helps improve the competitiveness of wood products relative to other materials, boost the marketing of tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested sources, and the sharing of information on certification and specific aspects of the international timber market.
In pursuit of the second objective, ITTO helps countries to improve forest law enforcement and governance, address illegal logging and related trade in tropical timber, and undertake sustainable forest management and forest restoration. It will also strengthen the capacity of countries to gather and report data on the tropical timber trade and on forest management.
ITTO has historically provided grants for forestry work in response to demands from developing countries. This responsiveness led to a lack of strategic direction. The 2006 Agreement makes provision for the establishment of Thematic Programs which are designed to focus funds on issues of strategic importance. This provides an opportunity for interested donors to make funding available in ways consistent with current aid practices. The Thematic Programs Sub-Account focuses on issues such as governance, poverty and livelihoods.
Through its structure and thematic programs, the ITTO has the capacity to assist countries by funding practical activities to support implementation of the global policy framework described in the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on all types of forests prepared by the United Nations Forum on Forests.
In 2008, the Prime Minister of Australia ratified the ITTA, which has better positioned Australia to play a leadership role in combating illegal logging activities and in working with the international community to ensure that tropical forests are sustainably managed.