International Tropical Timber Organization

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) "was established under the auspices of the United Nations in 1986 amidst increasing worldwide concern for the fate of tropical forests. While almost everyone was alarmed at the rate of deforestation occurring in many tropical countries, there was also considerable agreement that the tropical timber trade was one of the keys to economic development in those same countries. The reconciliation of these two seemingly disparate phenomena is ITTO's story.

"ITTO's origins can be traced back to 1976 when the long series of negotiations that led to the first International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) began at the fourth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as part of that organization's Programme for Commodities. The eventual outcome of these negotiations was the ITTA, 1983, which governed the Organization's work until 31 December 1996, when it was superseded by the ITTA, 1994. Negotiations for a successor to this agreement were concluded in 2006, again under the auspices of UNCTAD. The ITTA, 2006 is expected to come into force in the near future."

Contact

 * Web: http://www.itto.int

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