The Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF) has introduced the Action Framework for Promoting Legal and Sustainable Timber Supply Chains, aimed at enhancing international collaboration among timber supply chain stakeholders, fostering sustainable industry growth, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals while addressing climate change.
Established in 2023 by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and Macao’s Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), the GLSTF held its inaugural forum the same year. The 2024 GLSTF event saw participation from over 700 representatives across 40+ countries, including governments, industries, associations, companies, international organisations, and academic institutions.
In her opening address at GLSTF 2024, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru asserted that the GLSTF is a collaborative platform of timber industry stakeholders designed to strengthen networking and business exchanges among timber industry stakeholders to facilitate sustainable forest management and the legal and sustainable use and trade of timber and wood products.
The Action Framework, endorsed by Forum participants, will enable the identification and implementation of practical actions to help build legal and sustainable timber supply chains. (The Action Framework is available for download at the end of the story.)
“The GLSTF is an important and innovative forum that, for the first time, is bringing together timber-sector actors across supply chains to support the implementation of sustainable forestry and the legal and sustainable use of timber,” said ITTO Director of Trade and Industry Nurudeen Iddrisu on behalf of Ms Satkuru. “We need now to strengthen its work with concrete action, as outlined in the Framework launched today.” he added further.
The Action Framework sets out eight action areas:
(1) partnership networking
(2) information-sharing
(3) market access facilitation
(4) certification and traceability innovation
(5) innovative technologies and technology transfer
(6) ways and means for sustainable finance and investment
(7) industrial clusters and parks development
(8) capacity building and training
“There is huge potential to expand action in all these areas and more,” said Dr Iddrisu. “We invite all stakeholders in the timber sector and along supply chains to jointly implement the Action Framework based on the principles of voluntariness, openness and transparency.” Dr Iddrisu concluded.
Rupert Oliver, a timber trade expert and a facilitator at GLSTF 2024, said the Forum is providing much-needed leadership.
“One major challenge identified during our discussions was the lack of consumer awareness of the positive role that the tropical timber industry can play—indeed is already playing—in helping to maintain tropical forests and the contribution it makes to rural livelihoods. There is little awareness outside the forestry sector of the strong level of commitment to development of national legal and sustainable forestry systems, and to the evolution of highly transparent supply chains.”
The good news is that there are already several initiatives building these partnerships in various parts of the world, and the GLTSF has a significant role to accelerate this process.
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