Delegates and office-bearers at the 45th session of the International Tropical Timber Council, held in Yokohama in November 2009. Photo: K. Sato
The International Tropical Timber Council is turning 50—that is, it is about to convene in its 50th session. The Council is ITTO’s governing body, and it has achieved much since its first session in Geneva in 1985/86. This special edition of the TFU features interviews with nine Council chairs, from the early days of the Council through to the present, as well as with the chairs of the Trade Advisory Group (TAG), the Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) and a representative of the host city, Yokohama. We ask interviewees about the challenges the Council has faced over the years, its achievements, its strengths and weaknesses, and what its role might be in the future.