21 July 2023

First Announcement

 Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF) 2023

21–22 November 2023

Galaxy International Convention Center, Macao, China

Background

Recently the gap between global demand and supply of wood and wood products is widening due to a significant increase in global population and a correspondingly sharp increase in global demand for construction materials and other wood products. In the meantime, the COVID pandemic has brought more severe challenges to global timber supply chains. As a result, there will be an increasing demand for legal and sustainable timber products to meet such needs while maintaining other important forest values. Hence, enhanced exchanges of views, information and collaboration among stakeholders, including timber producers, buyers, processing industry and market players nationally and internationally, are increasingly necessary.

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) formulated its Legal and Sustainable Supply Chain (LSSC) Programme aimed at building legal and sustainable supply chains through a multi-pronged and integrated approach of governmental frameworks, private sector initiatives, financial resources, and capacity building. In collaboration with other partners, ITTO organized the International Forum: Together Towards Global Green Supply Chains in October 2019 in Shanghai, China, which was the first global dialogue on a forest products industry initiative to improve the legality and sustainability of tropical timber supply chains. As part of the implementation of the LSSC Programme and in response to demands from the global timber industry, ITTO and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) entered a Collaborative Framework Agreement to co-host the Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum to accelerate building Legal and Sustainable Forest Products Supply Chains, so as to build a collaborative platform for stakeholders of the global wood industries to promote legal and sustainable (“green”) forest products supply chains and increase the trade in legally and sustainably produced forest products.

Objectives

The Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF) aims to increase networking, collaboration and business exchange among stakeholders including timber producers, buyers, the processing industry and market players, nationally and internationally, with a view to promoting sustainable forest management, building legal and sustainable forest products supply chains, facilitating the legal and sustainable use and trade of timber and wood products within a stable, transparent and predictable business environment, and  contributing to sustainable development and climate change mitigation.

Specifically, the Forum aims to:

• Raise the profile of productive forests and their contribution to climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

• Identify challenges and opportunities for the recovery of the global wood industry.

• Review the role of the timber and wood products sectors in demand and supply within global supply chains, and its contribution to sustainable development and climate change.

• Discuss issues relating to sustainable forest management and deforestation-free practices within the framework of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and the Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (SW4SW) joint CPF initiative.

• Promote the sustainable production and consumption of legal and sustainable wood and forest products in international and domestic markets.

• Introduce advanced technologies and machinery for timber processing and production.

• Use green finance, block-chain-based technologies and other tools to improve legal and sustainable supply chains.

• Make recommendations to promote partnerships in the global timber and wood products sectors to further build legal and sustainable timber supply chains.

Forum Structure

The Forum will be held on an annual basis and consists of two levels:

· Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF)

· Several specialized parallel forums

Co-Hosts & Organizer

The GLSTF will be co-hosted by the ITTO and the IPIM and organized by the Secretariat of the Global Green Supply Chain Initiative (GGSC). The specialized parallel forums will be co-organized by partner agencies. The co-hosts and organizer may also organize specialized parallel forum(s).

Theme of the first GLSTF (2023) will be "Connect, Cooperate and Share to Promote the Recovery of the Global Tropical Timber Market".

Specialized parallel forums of GLSTF 2023 shall be organized by the partner agencies on the basis of contributing to the theme of the main forum, which may include selected topics in the fields of timber legality and sustainability, sustainable timber resources and trade, advanced technology and machinery for wood processing, green finance and sustainable development of the timber industry.

Legal & Sustainable Timber Industry Display shall be organized in parallel with GLSTF and specialized forums, with an initial trial scale of 20–30 booths.

Other Events and Activities

The Global Timber Index (GTI) annual report and the Blockchain-based International Timber Tracking System technical report will be released at/during the GLSTF. Other business activities, such as B2B matchings, can be arranged on a need’s basis.

Date and Venue

The GLSTF 2023 will be held on 21–22 November 2023, in Macao, China, at the Galaxy International Convention Center.

Expected Participants

The GLSTF 2023 is expected to attract around 500 participants from wood enterprises and trading companies, industrial and business associations, governments, international organizations, research institutions, etc.

Sponsorship

Select speakers and panelists for the GLSTF 2023 will be sponsored while limited sponsorship will be available for participants from selected developing countries.

Languages

The GLSTF 2023 will provide simultaneous interpretation for English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese (Mandarin).

Detailed information on the venue, registration procedures and alternative details for hotels in Macao will follow shortly.

Contact Points and E-mail/telephone numbers for Registrations (following further notification from co-organizers):

ITTO Secretariat: Mr. LI Qiang – li@itto.int

IPIM: Mr. Steve CHAN – pcel@ipim.gov.mo

GGSC Secretariat: Ms. GAO Xuting – gaoxuting@itto-ggsc.org