We bid farewell to 2020 with little regret—it has been an unusually difficult year for most, including in the tropical forest sector. But even in these grimmest of times, there is cause for optimism. With the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration upon us, the latest edition of the TFU presents stories about restoring and sustainably using forests. We look forward to 2021 in solidarity and hope.

An ITTO project has released five videos designed to increase awareness of Peru’s under-threat northern tropical dry forests and thereby help conserve them. The message conveyed in the videos is that sustainably managed dry forests provide livelihoods, guard against desertification, mitigate the impacts of drought and increase the resilience of people to the adverse effects of climate change.

The vacancy announcement is posted consistent with the provisions of ITTC Decision 5(LVI) ‘Matters related to Article 14 of the ITTA, 2006, regarding the recruitment, selection, and term of the Executive Director’. 

Deadline for application is 15 April 2021, 23:59 Japan Standard Time (JST).

Saturday, 14 November 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on tropical timber trade, with log exports down by 28% compared with 2019, sawnwood down by 16% and tropical plywood down by 8%, according to preliminary findings of a report presented by the ITTO Secretariat on the fifth and final day of the 56th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council.

Thursday, 13 November 2020: The ITTO Fellowship Selection Panel met virtually this year and has recommended the awarding of 20 ITTO Fellowships at the 56th Session of International Tropical Timber Council. The newest group of Fellows are from 14 producer countries and one consumer and includes nine women. The total value of the awarded Fellowships is close to USD 145 000.

12 November 2020: The co-chairs of an ITTO working group presented draft objectives for ITTO’s four new programme lines yesterday in a report to the 56th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council, which is being convened virtually. The working group prepared the objectives at the request of Council to guide the development and financing of project proposals and concept notes.