ENB @ ITTA-4, 16-27 January 2006, Geneva, Switzerland (27 Jan.)

United Nations Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, 4th part

16–27 January 2006 | Geneva, Switzerland

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Curtain Raiser
Mon 16
Tue 17
Wed 18
Thu 19
Fri 20
Mon 23
Tue 24
Wed 25
Thu 26
Fri 27 & SUMMARY

Agreement achieved!
Negotiations produce a successor agreement to the ITTA, 1994

Highlights from Friday, 27 January 2006

The UN Conference on the Negotiation of the Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 (ITTA, 1994), Fourth Part has managed to achieve consensus, after two weeks of intensive negotiations. In the morning, a joint working group met and approved all articles except for that on the Administrative Account, left open due to disagreement over the proportion of funding to be devoted to operational activities versus administrative costs.

In the afternoon, plenary adopted the text of the agreement after delegates agreed to text in the article on the Administrative Account limiting the operational costs to one-third of the assessed contributions budget. All other articles of the agreement were adopted with minor editorial changes. The plenary was adjourned at 6:30 p.m. as delegates celebrated the successful conclusion of the Agreement.

Joint Working Group

President Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, Brazil, WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland, WGI Chair Alhassan Attah, Ghana, and Carlos Moreno Mericaechevarria, Advisor, Legal Services

President Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, Brazil

Delegates during the morning Joint Working Group

WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland

WGI Chair Alhassan Attah, Ghana

Carlos Gonzalez, Venezuela

Rubén Dario Guerrero Useda, Colombia, supported by Venezuela, proposed deletion of quote and genetic resources from the preamble

Mbella Mbella, Cameroon

Miyano Michiko, Japan

Enzo Barattini, European Commission, noted that European countries would have to consult with their capitals regarding Chair Blaser's proposed text on assessed contributions

Final Plenary

Left to right: WGI Chair Alhassan Attah, Ghana, President Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, Brazil, Lisanne Losier, UNCTAD, and WGII Chair Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland

President Paranhos presented the text of the Agreement for final adoption. Delegates approved all articles, with only Article 19 on the Administrative Account receiving discussion. Working Group II Chair Jürgen Blaser said that delegates had reviewed the text for the section on capping contributions to operational costs, and that all had approved. Delegates were given the opportunity to make statements regarding the new Agreement, after which it was adopted in its entirety.

President Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, Brazil

Bambang Tri Hartono, Indonesia

Luiz Cesar Gasser, Brazil, for producers, said that the new agreement is the result of a balance of expectations of both Producers and Consumers, and that all delegates have shown flexibility. He noted that although the outcome is far from adequate for funding operational costs, the producers have decided that the package as a whole merits a spirit of compromise.

Enzo Barattini, European Commission, said that a spirit of cooperation has guided all delegates. He noted that this is the only international negotiated agreement concerning forests, and it is a shining example commitment from its members.

Freezailah Che Yeom, Malaysia, supported Brazil’s statement and noted that the objectives of the agreement identify and address new issues. He lamented that the consumers’ statement was not agreed and noted that progress toward Objective 2000 hinges on additional funding.

Zhang Kening, China, noted that all parties made compromises and sacrifices, and that there is a new spirit of cooperation between consumers and producers

Mbella Mbella, Cameroon, delivered a message from the Minister of Forests, Cameroon, expressing the African group’s satisfaction with the Agreement

Hideo Fukushima, Japan, noted, as the host country, that the Agreement signals a renewed commitment to the objectives of sustainable forest management

Lakshmi Puri, UNCTAD, lauded the delegates for the successful agreement, which she believes retains the best features of the previous agreement while opening doors to new steps in sustainable forest management

President Paranhos, in his closing statement, reviewed progress achieved from 2003 and said that the new Agreement moves forward from the traditional lines of ITTA, 1994 to a stage where funding is more predictable

Delegates celebrate the successful completion of ITTA, 2006 with a champagne reception

Around ITTA-4

Left to right: Diego Noguera, ENB Digital Editor, and Rubén Dario Guerrero Useda, Colombia

ENB Team. Left to right: Peter Wood (Team Leader), Canada, William McPherson, United States of America, Lauren Flejzor, United States of America, Twig Johnson, United States of America, Karen Alvarenga de Oliveira, Brazil, Marsel Kuzyakov, Russia, Deborah Davenport, United States of America, and Diego Noguera, Colombia

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Links

UNCTAD’s website for the ITTA, 1994 renegotiation, 4th part. Includes the provisional agenda and supporting documents
ITTO Secretariat
UNFF Website
FAO
UNFF Secretariat
UNFCCC Secretariat
CBD Secretariat
ENB coverage of ITTC-39
ENB coverage of the UN Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the ITTA, 1994 - Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
YMB summary of the Country-Led Initiative “Scoping for a Future Agreement on Forests”, 16-18 November 2005, Berlin, Germany (HTML, PDF, TEXT)
ENB summary from UNFF-5: (English: HTML, PDF, TEXT) (Spanish: HTML, PDF, TEXT) (French: HTML, PDF, TEXT)
YMB summary from the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Conference, 6-8 June, 2005 Moscow, Russia: (HTML, PDF, TEXT)
YMB coverage the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Conference, 22-25 November 2005, St. Petersburg, Russia
ENB archives of forestry meetings

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