9 February 2015
IWG Reviews Harmonization and Utility of Forest Product Data
story highlights

The Intersecretariat Working Group on Forest Sector Statistics (IWG) met to review data collection efforts and plan for future activities.

In particular, the meeting highlighted that in 2014, data was made available on 50 forest products thereby reducing national reporting burdens by half.

itto-fao-unece30 January 2015: The Intersecretariat Working Group on Forest Sector Statistics (IWG) met to review data collection efforts and plan for future activities. In particular, the meeting highlighted that, in 2014, data were made available on 50 forest products, thereby reducing national reporting burdens by half.

In addition to data collection and sharing, the IWG reported on efforts through the World Customs Organization (WCO) to update and expand the Harmonized System custom classification in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of tropical timber trade data starting in 2017. The meeting also discussed regional capacity building workshops convened by members in order to improve the collection of forest products data and enhance their use by policy makers and analysts.

The IWG is a collaborative initiative of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). [ITTO Press Release][UNECE meeting page]

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