Japan’s Financial Assistance through the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)

May 14, 2007

At the occasion of the 42nd Session of the International Tropical Timber Council held in Papua New Guinea from 7 to 12 May 2007, the Government of Japan pledged to the ITTO a new fund in the total amount of US$ 3.2 millions as a voluntary contribution.
This fund is to support the following 13 projects to be implemented in ITTO member countries, mainly in Latin America, Central Africa and South-East Asian regions, with the aim to promote sustainable forest management in these timber producing countries.

<Financed Projects> (pledged amount by Japan / co-finance countries)
(1) Panama “Conservation and Reforestation of Threatened Mangrove Forest Areas along with the Pacific Coast of Panama, Phase II” (US$ 302,887 / Norway)
(2) Peru “Promotion of Formal Markets for Timber from Forest Concessions and Other Forests under Management” (US$ 130,532 / Switzerland)
(3) Honduras “Strengthening of the Forest Statistics and Information Centre- CIEF” (US$ 230,023)
(4) Guyana “Improving the Detection and Prevention of Illegal Logging and Illegality in Shipment and Trade of Wood Products in Guyana” (US$542,101 / Norway, Republic of Korea, Finland)
(5) Gabon “Regional Project to Promote Reduced Impact Logging in the Congo Basin, Phase I” (US$ 475,087 / Switzerland, France)
(6) Philippines “Training Needs Analysis for the Builders' Woodworks Industry in the Philippines” (US$ 69,199 / Republic of Korea)
(7) Indonesia “Restoring the Ecosystem Functions of the Lake Toba Catchment Area through Community Development and Local Capacity Building for Forest and Land Rehabilitation” (US$539,974 / Republic of Korea)
(8) Malaysia “Transboundary Biodiversity Conservation Area: The Pulong Tau National Park, Sarawak State, Malaysia, Phase II” (US$ 200,000 / Switzerland, Norway, Republic of Korea)
(9) China “Training on Demonstration, Application and Extension of ITTO Manual on Restoring Forest Landscapes in Tropics of China” (US$ 122,060 / Switzerland)
(10) China “Promoting the Utilization of Plantation Timber Resources by Extending Environmentally Sound Preservation Technology” (US$ 291,060)
(11) Japan “Guidelines for the Restoration of Mangroves and other Coastal Forests damaged by Tsunamis and other Natural Hazards in the Asia-Pacific Region” (US$ 129,038)
(12) ITTO “Freezailah Fellowship Fund” (US$150,000)
(13) PNG “Assistance to Papua New Guinea to undertake a Forest Inventory” (Council Decision) (US$ 15,000 / Switzerland, Finland, Republic of Korea, Australia)
Japan is the top donor to the ITTO. As a host country of the ITTO Headquarters as well as one of the biggest tropical timber importing countries in the world, Japan has been actively contributing to the conservation of the tropical forests and the reconciliation of both environment and development demands in timber producing members of ITTO.

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