TheInternational Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), 1983) is an agreement to provide an effective framework for cooperation betweentropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation oftropical forests and theirgenetic resources.TheInternational Tropical Timber Organization was established under this agreement, which firstopened for signature on 18 November 1983, thenEntered into force on 1 April 1985. There were subsequent treaties, with an increasing number of signatories, in 1994 (ITTA2) and 2006 (ITTA3).
ITTA2 (1994) was drafted to ensure that by the year 2000 exports oftropical timber originated fromsustainably managed sources and to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reach this objective.It further defined the mandate of theInternational Tropical Timber Organization. The agreement was opened for signature on 26 January 1994, and entered into force on 1 January 1997.
ITTA3 (2006) aimed to "promote the expansion and diversification of international trade intropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests and to promote thesustainable management of tropical timber producing forests".[1] It entered into force on 7 December 2011.[2]
Thirty-two parties signed the 1983 agreement:Belgium,Brazil,Cameroon,Republic of the Congo,Ivory Coast,Denmark,Ecuador,Egypt,European Economic Community,Finland,France,Gabon,Federal Republic of Germany,Ghana,Greece,Honduras,Indonesia,Ireland,Italy,Japan,Liberia,Luxembourg,Malaysia,Netherlands,Norway,Peru,Philippines,Portugal,Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,Spain,Sweden and theUnited Kingdom.[3]
Sixty-two parties ultimately ratified the 1994 agreement:[citation needed]Australia,Austria,Belgium,Bolivia,Brazil,Burma,Cambodia,Cameroon,Canada,Central African Republic,People's Republic of China,Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo,Ivory Coast,Denmark,Ecuador,Egypt,European Union,Fiji,Finland,France,Gabon,Germany,Ghana,Greece,Guatemala,Guyana,Honduras,India,Indonesia,Ireland,Italy,Japan,South Korea,Liberia,Luxembourg,Malaysia,Mexico,Nepal,Netherlands,New Zealand,Nigeria,Norway,Panama,Papua New Guinea,Peru,Philippines,Poland,Portugal,Spain,Suriname,Sweden,Switzerland,Thailand,Togo,Trinidad and Tobago,United Kingdom,United States,Uruguay,Vanuatu,Venezuela
As of October 2018, there are 74 parties to ITTA3.Nigeria andParaguay have signed the agreement but have notratified it.[citation needed]Canada ratified the agreement in 2009, withdrew in 2013, and later rejoined in 2023.[4][5]: End Note 1
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2003 ed.).CIA.