3 September 2010: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement to collaborate on further promoting the sustainable use and conservation of tropical forest resources.

The agreement aims to identify, develop and implement targeted joint activities on forest management in countries that are assisted by JICA, and to promote capacity building in ITTO developing member countries and facilitate information exchange between parties and interested countries to advance sustainable forest management in the tropics. Several areas for cooperation have been identified, including: joint project development and financing at sub-national, national and regional levels; providing services by ITTO for JICA project implementation in countries where ITTO has a comparative advantage and opportunities; and forest fire prevention and management, and development of regional early warning and detection systems. The two organizations pledged to liaise closely to raise funds for joint activities. [ITTO Media Release]