Experts meet in Bangkok to update ITTO/IUCN biodiversity guidelines for tropical production forests

ITTO and IUCN convened a select group of experts and stakeholders to review and provide technical feedback and recommendations to help ensure that the updated ITTO/IUCN Guidelines for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Tropical Timber Production Forests reflect the latest knowledge and practical approaches for conserving biodiversity in tropical timber production forests and surrounding landscapes. © IUCN Asia

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) convened the Second Expert Validation Meeting on the Draft Updated ITTO/IUCN Guidelines for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Tropical Timber Production Forests from 11–13 March 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The original guidelines were developed in 1993 by ITTO and updated in 2009 in collaboration with IUCN. This process will result in the third version of the guidelines.

The three-day meeting brought together a select group of experts and stakeholders to review and provide technical feedback and recommendations to help ensure that the guidelines reflect the latest knowledge and practical approaches for conserving biodiversity in tropical timber production forests and surrounding landscapes.

“Biodiversity does not stop within protected areas—it can go beyond that,” said Satrio Wicaksono, Regional Coordinator for Forest and Drylands at the International Union for Conservation of Nature Asia Regional Office, as he reflected on how biodiversity extends across broader landscapes. 

Many tropical production landscapes also have strong potential to contribute to Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), which recognize areas that support biodiversity outside formal protected areas. “The goal here is to show that these areas, the sustainable production of forestry, agriculture and other land uses, can go hand in hand with biodiversity conservation,” Dr Wicaksono added. 

The revision incorporates new scientific insights and emerging challenges, particularly those related to climate change, and aligns the recommendations with global policy frameworks, including the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

During the meeting, ITTO Consultant Cesar Sabogal explained the latest revisions, incorporating feedback from experts who attended the First Expert Validation Meeting held in Merida, Mexico, in June 2025.  Experts then reviewed key sections of the draft guidelines through a series of interactive discussions designed to encourage substantive exchanges of ideas and experiences from different disciplines and regions. 

“One of the most fundamental shifts in the updated guidelines is addressing the problems and recommended principles, guidelines, and priority actions through a lens of a multifunctional mosaic landscape approach, including protected areas, forest community lands, neighbouring agriculture and silvopastoral systems, plantations and restored forests,” said Jennifer Conje, Director of Forest Management at ITTO.  

“This encompasses vast areas of the tropics necessary for the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity and other critical ecosystem services, while supporting sustainable livelihoods and local economies,” Ms Conje added.

By updating these guidelines, ITTO and IUCN aim to provide policymakers, land managers, practitioners, and communities with practical, science-based guidance that helps integrate biodiversity conservation into everyday forest management and policy decisions. The updated ITTO/IUCN guidelines are expected to be publicly released at the end of 2026 / early 2027.

The meeting was supported in part by the SEAP Forests Integrated Program (GEF-8), a six-year initiative that brings together governments, communities, and partners to conserve Southeast Asia’s remaining primary forests and the ecosystem services they provide.