Canada Rejoins the International Tropical Timber Organization
News release
December 9, 2023 Ottawa, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
As the third most-forested country in the world, Canada is the steward of nine percent of the world’s forests and has a role to play in forest conservation and sustainable forest management globally.
That’s why today, on COP28’s Nature, Land Use, and Oceans Day, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that Canada has rejoined the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
By rejoining the ITTO, Canada further demonstrates its ongoing commitment to halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 as agreed to in the Glasgow Leader’s Declaration on Forests and Land Use, at a time when the role of forests in addressing global climate and biodiversity goals has never been so important.
The ITTO carries out programming on issues of interest and importance to the global community and Canada, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, landscape restoration, sustainable and transparent forest supply chains, and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Gender equality also features in its work through a dedicated focus on women’s empowerment.
As a member of the ITTO and a leader in sustainable forest management, Canada will work constructively on these issues and, with its global partners, address conservation and sustainable forest management of tropical forests and promote legal and sustainable tropical timber supply chains.
Canada looks forward to once again being part of ITTO and to advancing the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, further contributing to the fight against climate change.
Quotes
“Forests are one of the greatest allies we have in the fight against climate change. By rejoining the International Tropical Timber Organization, we are recognizing this fact and taking an important step to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. We will continue to work with like-minded countries to advance shared goals and best practices to ensure appropriate conservation and the sustainable management of forests, including tropical forests.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Quick facts
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Established in 1994 under the International Tropical Timber Agreement, the ITTO is an intergovernmental organization that promotes the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests.
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The ITTO Secretariat is based in Japan, and its 75 members make up 90 percent of global trade in tropical lumber countries.
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Canada was a founding member in 1994 but withdrew in 2013. Since then, Canada’s imports of tropical wood products have increased.
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The ITTO carries out programming on issues of interest and importance to the global community and Canada, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, landscape restoration, sustainable and transparent forest supply chains and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Gender equality also features in its work through a dedicated focus on women’s empowerment. ITTO projects are diverse and range from complex topics, such as the analysis of forest carbon markets, to on-the-ground projects aimed at empowering local communities and women.
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Contacts
Contacts
Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
Carolyn Svonkin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Canada
343-597-1725
carolyn.svonkin@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
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