Tropical Forests: Who are the actors involved?

Who are the actors involved?

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is the competence centre of the Federal Administration for sustainable economic development cooperation. Regarding commodities, it supports selected partner countries in respect to the diversification of its economic base and reduction of dependence on exports of raw materials. By doing so, SECO avoids any use of interventionist measures. The focus is on the promotion of sustainably produced raw materials.

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) based in Yokohama and funded in 1983, facilitates discussion, consultation and international co-operation on issues relating to the international trade and utilization of tropical timber and the sustainable management of its resource base. The governing body of ITTO is the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC), which includes all members (Producer and Consumer countries). ITTC is supported by four committees: Economic Information and Market Intelligence, Reforestation and Forest Management, Forest Industry, and Finance and Administration.

Intercooperation, a non-government, non-profit making Swiss Organization for Development and Cooperation, delivers to SECO comprehensive advisory services in matters relating to tropical forestry in general, and to tropical timber trade and sustainable management of tropical timber producing forests in particular. It is SECO's strategic partner for all the activities and international debate relating to the Swiss membership in the ITTO.

The cooperation between Switzerland and the ITTO represents one of the main tools of the Swiss policy towards sustainable use of tropical forests. Other actions are undertaken by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).