International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994

The International Tropical Timber Agreement (English: International Tropical Timber Agreement shortly ITTA ) is an international environmental and trade agreements with the aim of ensuring a sustainable international trade in tropical timber. It forms the basis for the trade of tropical timber producing and consuming countries, which have joined together in the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO ).

The original Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983 ( ITTA, 1983) was replaced in 1997 by a second Agreement ( ITTA, 1994). 2006, the community agreed again on a successor agreement ( ITTA, 2006), but this is not yet entered into force.

ITTA, 1983

The first Tropical Timber Agreement, dated to the year 1983. According to the ITTO, the states were responding to the at the time greatly increasing worries about the progressive deforestation, contributing to the trade in tropical timber to a considerable extent. In the preamble of the new agreement, therefore, forest conservation and commercial interests were given the same importance. A " flourishing trade in tropical timber ," said the ITTO, could, if it was based on well-used forest resources, be "a key to sustainable development ". Consequently, the contract was finally adopted " no ordinary trade agreements ," but " as much an agreement for the protection of forests and for development" is.

ITTA, 1994

The currently valid Tropical Timber Agreement was negotiated in 1994 and entered into force, placing it at the same time replacing its predecessor of 1983 on January 1, 1997.

ITTA, 2006

To negotiations on a successor agreement to the ITTA of preparing 1994, 2003 first came together a set up specifically for this purpose, the working group. 2004 then began the first official negotiations. Two years and four conferences later, at the end of until January 27, 2006, which meets in Geneva from the 16th round of negotiations, the diplomats then agreed on the text of the treaty to the ITTA, 2006.

The German Federal Government describes the core of the Agreement as follows:

The ITTA, 2006 to replace its predecessor after entry into force. So far, however not enough states ratified the new agreement, so that the ITTA, 1994 continues to constitute the valid contract work.