Asia-Pacific tropical forest investment forum: issues and opportunities for investing in natural tropical forests

What are the current opportunities for investing in natural tropical forests in the Asia-Pacific region? How can private and public investors grasp these opportunities, and manage the complexities involved with forest investment strategies? To address these questions, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is convening the Asia-Pacific Tropical Forest Investment Forum during 6-8 August 2007, in Bangkok, Thailand.

This regional Forum offers an opportunity for participants to discuss the generation of private and public investment in natural tropical forests. Plenary presentations and panel discussions will focus on regional investment trends, constraints and opportunities for increased investments in natural tropical forests, methodologies, case-studies, analysis and legislation that influence investments for revenue generation, including markets for forest services and non-timber forest products.

The Forum will bring together private investors, companies with an exposure to timberland in their investment portfolios, public sector institutions, leading forestry and conservation agencies and representatives from the forestry sector in the Asia-Pacific region. The Forum will be interactive, with plenary presentations followed by chaired panel discussions.

Participation at the Forum is open to all interested stakeholders and there are no registration or attendance fees, but participants are expected to pay their transportation and hotel accommodation, meals and other costs while in Bangkok.

This Forum aims to increase the level of understanding on opportunities and constraints for investing in natural tropical forest based enterprises, and on the kind of information and tools available or needed to promote investment in natural tropical forests in the Asia-Pacific region.

This Forum will follow up discussions from the International Tropical Forest Investment Forum held in Cancun, Mexico (26-27 April 2006) and the Latin American Tropical Forest Investment Forum held in Curitiba, Brazil (23-24 November 2006).

All meetings of this three-day investment forum will be held at the following venue:

Grand Rachada Ballroom
Chaophya Park Hotel
247 Rachadapisek Road
Dindaeng
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 2290 0125
Fax: +66 2 2290 0167 or 0168
Email: info@chaophyapark.com
http://www.chaophyapark.com

Participants wishing to attend the forum should complete the registration form included below and email the completed form to Dr. L. Flejzor at flejzor@itto.or.jp or fax number +81 45 223 1111. On the form, participants should indicate whether they wish to reserve a hotel room at the Chaophya Park Hotel, the venue of the forum.

While staying at the Chaophya Park Hotel, guests can enjoy a wide variety of the hotel's amenities, including four restaurants and free internet access. With the exception of internet access, hotel guests will be responsible for any charges incurred at any restaurant or other hotel facility.

Please be aware that flight volume to Bangkok can be heavy during early August. Therefore, flight bookings should be arranged well in advance of the Forum.

Please note that you must have a valid passport with an expiry date not less than six months from the date of your entry into Thailand. Some nationalities do not require visas or are exempt from paying visa fees for entry into Thailand. To check whether you require an entry visa to Thailand or are exempt from paying visa fees, please review the information on the Kingdom of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website at http://www.mfa.go.th/web/12.php