Council moves forward on ITTA negotiation; Members announce new funding commitments
Panama City, 30 October 2025 — The International Tropical Timber Council continued discussions on the future of tropical forest governance as delegates reconvened for Day 4 of the 61st session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC61). The day focused on the preparations for the negotiation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), alongside announcements of new donor commitments to advance ITTO’s work.
Members discuss the path towards ITTA negotiation
The Council exchanges focused closely on the Preparatory Working Group (PWG) roadmap, which provides a proposed schedule for upcoming negotiations of the ITTA. Producer members reported the establishment of three new regional coordination groups for Africa, Asia and Latin America, intended to strengthen internal consultation and ensure producer voices are well represented.
Producers backed extending the PWG’s work into 2026 and supported the Secretariat’s proposal of convening an in-person preparatory committee in conjunction with the 62nd session of the ITTC (ITTC62). Consumer countries expressed preference for holding ITTC62 from Monday to Saturday, with the preparatory committee either on the first two days or bookending a four-day Council session.
Members also expressed mixed opinions on the possibility of broadening the Agreement’s scope, for example, to more explicitly cover non-timber forest products, ecosystem services, tropical forest plantations and a wider range of wood products. While some producer member countries showed openness to broadening the ITTA’s scope to cover a broader range of tropical forest products and services, others emphasized the need to avoid duplicating the work of other international processes.
Several consumer members urged the Council to prioritize addressing existing challenges, especially financing, before opening discussions on an expanded mandate. Several consumer members also stressed the importance of timely engagement from all members to avoid delays in the negotiation cycle. Several delegations also noted the tight proposed timetable in the PWG roadmap, which would conclude negotiations shortly before the current ITTA expires in 2029.
Membership structure was another topic of debate. Some members suggested exploring a single membership category or hybrid models to enhance communication and collaboration, reflecting the current reality that several members are now both consumers and producers of tropical timber. Others favoured maintaining the current membership structure of the Organization, noting that changes to the membership structure would have consequences for the allocation of votes and assessed contributions under the ITTA.
The ITTC61 Chairperson, Carlos Espinosa Peña, encouraged all members to study the PWG report in detail and to organize national consultations to support the negotiation process. Discussions on future arrangements for the ITTA negotiation process will continue as the Council works toward adopting decisions before the close of ITTC61 on 31 October 2025.
Donor pledges announced
The Council welcomed new pledges under the Special Account and the Bali Partnership Fund (BPF).
Japan announced contributions from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Forestry Agency of Japan to support activities such as biodiversity conservation, translation of ITTO materials, and new projects in Peru, Viet Nam and Togo.
Australia confirmed a voluntary contribution to biodiversity-related activities under the Biennial Work Programme, while Canada highlighted recent support to wildfire-response initiatives and statistical capacity building.
The Council also approved recommendations allocating funds from ITTO’s Bali Partnership Fund to support the 2026 ITTO Fellowship Programme.
Calls for stronger financing
Council members also received an update on the implementation of ITTO’s financing architecture, including the permanent establishment of four program lines. Since 2019, 61 concept notes have been submitted, of which 15 have advanced to full project development and implementation.
Despite this progress, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru noted that approved projects and concept notes with budgets totalling more than USD 8 million remain unfunded. Several delegations expressed concern that financing constraints risk discouraging project development and ultimately member interest in the Organization.
Delegates called for more proactive outreach to financial partners, including multilateral institutions such as the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility, which the Secretariat is already pursuing. The Secretariat outlined options for countries to maintain eligibility for project financing to avoid projects expiring under ITTO’s sunset clause.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
More information on the Council session, including presentations, is available at: https://www.itto.int/ittc-61/presentations
Daily coverage by IISD Reporting Services: https://enb.iisd.org/ittc61-international-tropical-timber-council
