Yokohama, Japan, 1 December 2022: Strategic investments in sustainable tropical forestry, forest-based industries and a sustainable timber trade are needed as part of efforts to achieve a nature-positive future, according to ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru in a recorded message delivered at the three-day virtual Nature for Life Hub in the lead-up to the UN Biodiversity Summit (COP15).

Yokohama, Japan, 25 November 2022: Thirteen fellowships were awarded by the International Tropical Timber Organization at the 58th Session of International Tropical Timber Council. Of this new group of Fellows, four are from Africa, five are from the Asia-Pacific region and four are from Latin America and the Caribbean. Six of the 13 candidates are women.  The total amount of the fellowships was approximately USD 77 000.

Panama City, Panama 21 November 2022: The 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), convening on 14–25 November in Panama, is considering a decision related to agarwood-producing species, based on a report released at COP19 by ITTO and CITES.

Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, 18 November 2022: Tropical forests are a valuable carbon reservoir at the core of climate-change adaptation and mitigation and their conservation is crucial for fighting climate change, according to ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru, speaking this week at a high-level segment at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and at several other events.

Yokohama, Japan, 11 November 2022: The 58th session of the International Tropical Timber Council closed today, with Chairperson Jesse Mahoney considering it “one of the most collaborative ones in my entire time”. The Council made four decisions, including one to endorse six project proposals, three of which received full funding, thus enabling implementation to commence immediately.

Yokohama, Japan, 10 November 2022: Donors have contributed funds amounting to about USD 4.0 million to support the Organization’s work, according to announcements made today at the 58th session of the International Tropical Timber Council.