Promotion of trade in sustainably produced tropical timber

SECO is promoting framework conditions that promote trade in sustainably produced timber and other forest products, and encourages the financial compensation of the forests’ ecosystem services. This contributes to poverty reduction and the conservation of tropical forests.

This goal is being pursued using the following measures:

1. International policy dialogue

• Active participation in the work of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and in the formulation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA);


• Contribution to regional forums of the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) initiative implemented by the World Bank;


• Support to other federal agencies (particularly the FOEN and SDC) in the international policy dialogue on tropical forests.

2. International involvement at the operational level

Support and monitoring of project work, with the following focal points:

• Support of export capacities for products from sustainably managed tropical forests through promotion of certification and labelling as well as cooperation between the public and private sectors and civil society;


• Fight against illegal logging and related trade;


• Promotion of compensation for ecosystem services of tropical forests (carbon sequestration, biodiversity, ecotourism, etc.);


• Establishment of conservation belts in critical tropical forest areas as components of sustainable forest management concepts.

SECO has entrusted the implementation and monitoring of project work in the domain of tropical forest to the Swiss based foundation Intercooperation. Main partner in implementing the activities is ITTO, besides several bilateral partners such as WWF and IUCN. Currently, SECO is supporting through ITTO, approximately a dozen important projects in tropical countries.

3. Interventions in Switzerland

• Improvement of access to markets in Switzerland and Europe for sustainably produced tropical timber and other tropical forest products.

SECO is supporting SMEs in selected developing countries to integrate into the international trade system through the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO). Firms are provided with advice and technical backstopping and exporters and importers are brought together.

• Promotion of information exchange between Swiss players from the private sector, environmental organisations, other federal agencies and the media.

  Participation in the policy dialogue in Switzerland and support for efforts to promote imports of sustainably produced tropical forest products in Switzerland.

SECO’s activities create synergies between policy dialogue and project work: Strategic guidelines are tested in practice; experiences flow back into policies.

Read more about:
Who are the actors?
Why tropical forests?
Why sustainability instead of prohibitions?
Why ITTO?

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