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Recalling Decision 11(XXXII) on the Potential Role of Phased Approaches to Certification in Tropical Timber Producer Countries as a Tool to Promote Sustainable Forest Management and the progress achieved in its implementation;
Noting the outcomes and recommendations of the ITTO Regional Workshops on Phased Approaches to Certification held in Jakarta, Libreville and Panama City in the first half of 2003;
Appreciating the interest in and the support for phased approaches to certification by tropical timber producing countries as a practical means to address the constraints facing many tropical timber producers in achieving certification as one of the instruments to encourage sustainable forest management;
Acknowledging that a crucial baseline requirement for a phased approach to certification is verification of legality of timber origin;
Acknowledging that verification of legality of timber origin should be undertaken based on national legislations applied in each member country as well as international agreements ratified by the member country;
Recognizing that it is fundamental to know how the diversity of social and cultural conditions in all wood-producing countries is dealt with by different verifications and certification approaches;
Noting the need for closer cooperation between producer and consumer member countries in facilitating policy development and technical assistance to ensure the realization of enabling conditions necessary for the implementation of phased approaches to certification;
Recognizing the need for further development and promotion of phased approaches to certification as a tool to promote sustainable forest management in ITTO producing member countries;
1.Authorize the Executive Director to engage two consultants, one from a consumer and one from a producer country, to develop procedures on how phased approaches to certification might be implemented in tropical timber producing countries for presentation and consideration of the Council at its Thirty-sixth Session;
2.Authorize the Executive Director to engage two consultants, one from a consumer and the other from a producer country, to undertake a study to evaluate the costs and benefits of certification in selected ITTO producing member countries from the three producer regions, according to the attached Terms of Reference for presentation and consideration of the Council at its Thirty-sixth Session;
3.Authorize the Executive Director to convene an international workshop on phased approaches to certification, if possible in collaboration with other partners, in a consumer member country after the Thirty-sixth Session, with a view to reporting its outcomes and recommendations no later than the Thirty-eighth Session of the Council based on the attached Terms of Reference; and
4.Authorize the Executive Director to seek voluntary contributions from member countries and other partners to meet the financial requirements of this decision, not exceeding US$250,000.00.