To Controlthe Origin and Traceability of Wood

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON MECHANISMS

TO CONTROLTHE ORIGIN AND TRACEABILITY OF WOOD

Bogotá, February 14 – 16, 2012

Report of the Meeting

In the city ofBogotá, Colombia, from February 14 to 16, 2012, Government Representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, participated in the workshop on Origin Control Mechanisms and Traceability of Wood. Additionally, a representative of the Republic of Chile was present as an observer. The list ofparticipants to the workshop is attached as Annex 1.

This event was convened by the SS/ACTO by virtue of the mandate given by the Amazon Cooperation Strategic Agenda where a facilitator role is assigned through the establishment of political and technical dialog spaces among the Member Countries so that the granted mandates are complied with, including topics of interest in the international forums such as the ones related to climate change, forests, biological diversity, and trade of endangered species. In that sense, also to promote the exchange of forest and protected areasinformation, as well as the technical exchange of experiences; and to promote the international technical and financial cooperation for the fight against illegal logging. Likewise, in March 2011, during the ACTO Member Countries’ Forest Authorities’ Meeting, the implementation instruments were identified for each of the activities of the Forests sub-topic. Among them, for the short-term activity “strengthening for the international technical and financial cooperation for the fight against illegal logging”, two implementation instruments were defined:

(i)An exchange of experiences and information on computerized origin, destination, and traceability control systems, by means of a regional workshop; and,

(ii)A proposal for the development of an electronic key for the identification of commercial timber.

The objectives of the workshop were i) To contribute to the strengthening of the ACTOMember Countries’ forest authorities’ capabilities in the process of fighting against illegal logging through the regional exchange of experiences on mechanisms to control the origin and traceability of wood; ii) To know new instruments that may strengthen the existing forest control mechanisms in the Member Countries, and iii) To explore interaction and cooperation opportunities among the Member Countries on the topics object of discussion. The meeting was developed according to the Agenda that is attached as Annex 2.

The event was inaugurated by Ambassador Cesar Emigdio Hernández, Acting Director of Territorial Sovereignty and Border Development of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Colombia; Engineer Luz Stella Pulido, from the Forests, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services Direction of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and Mr. Antonio Matamoros, Environment Coordinator of the SS/ACTO. The event was presided by Ms. Luz Stella Pulido form the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Ambassador Cesar Emigdio Hernández, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Colombia, and in particular, of the Territorial Sovereignty and Border Development Direction, welcomed all the delegations. He pointed out the importance of the workshop as a space to know the different state experiences on the control of illegal logging, the control of the origin and traceability and to debate on the cooperation priorities as a set of countries to neutralize illegal logging as a phenomenon that crosses borders. He referred that illegal logging on sensitive ecosystems such as the Amazonian ones, as well as the contraband of woods, have been developing together and fedback by a great chain of illegal activities, which makes it necessary to improve the coordination of interstate public policy, and to stimulate agreements aimed towards a sustainable forest management. He pointed out that the ACTO, as a consultation space and cooperation scenario, has been fundamental in the sustainable forest management, in what refers to the access to technical training and the exchange of experiences in the region.

He expressed that the ACTO countries bet on the sustainability, legality, and to an Amazon that conjures the dangers of deforestation and the productive systems that are aggressive with the environment. But in order to preserve the integrity of the forest systems, the survival of the species of high trade level, and the benefit of the indigenous communities that live in this region, it becomes necessary a joint effort such as the one facilitated by the ACTO and all Member Countries that make it up. Finally, he wished success in the event, and that the workshop’s outcome becomes an important step in the implementation of the ACTO’s Strategic Agenda in regards to the preservation and management of forests.

On behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ms. Luz Stella Pulido explained how from the Ministry, actions related to the application of forest legislation and governance are promoted as mechanisms to fight illegal traffic and trade of wood.

Ms. Pulido referred to the ACTO’s Forest Agenda and to the importance of this exchange of experiences in control and follow up to the use and marketing of wood, underlining the role of ACTO as a regional dialog facilitator. Finally, she explained the process of national nature, such as the Intersectoral Agreement for Legal Wood, the Forest Control and Vigilance Strategy, the conformation and implementation of the National Forest Board, and the application of the Environmental Penalty Regime.

The SS/ACTO’s Environment Coordinator, Antonio Matamoros, on behalf of the SS/ACTO’s General Secretary, thanked the government of Colombia for hosting this event, and pointed out the importance of this Regional Workshop, pointing that the topics to be reviewed in the event were identified as of regional interest in the last ACTO Member Countries’ Forest Directors’ Meeting held in March 2011 in Bogotá. Likewise, he mentioned that with events such as this, progress is being made in the implementation of the actions defined in the Amazon Cooperation Strategic Agenda.

He highlighted the presence of the Member Countries’ Delegates, since the representatives of the 8 ACTO’s Member Countries were present, which shows interest and commitment that is being developed to implement actions related to the sustainable forest management in the ACTO’s Countries, especially with the problem of illegal logging. He thanked the participation of the Member Countries’ Delegates, to the Government of the Republic of Colombia, and to the GIZ Amazon Regional Program for their support for the holding of this event.

Presentation of the Member Countries

The Representatives of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela made presentations on the experiences and instruments to control theorigin and traceability of wood used in the ACTO’s Member Countries. The Countries’ presentations have been consolidated and given to the Countries’ Delegates in a memory stick.

Presentation of Thematic Conferences

Thematic presentations were done on other experiences and additional instruments for the control of the origin of wood. Dr. Alexandre Sebbenn, from the Forest Institute of Sao Paulo, presented advances on techniques for isotopic and genetic fingerprinting for wood traceability, and Dr. Vera Coradin, from the Brazilian Forest Service, did the presentation on the use of infrared for the identification of species, and together with Dr. Dairon Cárdenas, from the SINCHI Institute, presented a joint initiative of project on electronic identification keys for timber-yielding species of commercial interest. The lecturers’presentationshave been consolidated and given to the Countries’ Delegates in a memory stick.

Conclusions

The Member Countries expressed their support to the activities and processes that the SS/ACTO is furthering on the topic of control of the origin and traceability of wood in the Amazon region, asking for it to continue developing them to strengthen the Countries’ capabilities.

The Member Countries’ presentations, as well as the keynote presentations, were considered as base elements for the deliberations of the two work groups that formulated the recommendations of the Regional Workshop.

Recommendations

The Delegates referred and recommended the following: strengthen meetings of specialist from the ACTO Countries to review topic of illegal traffic of wood in border areas and likewise facilitate the knowledge of information systems for the control of wood traffic; building a base line on the region for the quantification of the illegal trade of wood; the need of performing studies for the definition of the yield of wood by species; and that the Forest Products Laboratory of the Brazilian Forest Service officially request from the ACTO’s Member Countries the shipment of samples to develop the infrared technology.

The recommendations of the Work Groups were:

Group 1: Development of technological capabilities and resources

Proposal 1: Electronic identification key for wood-yielding species

To support the “initiative of electronic identification key for significant commercially timber species” presented by the Laboratorio de Productos Forestales del Servicio Forestal Brasilero and the Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI of Colombia as a pilot project to do further transfer to the ACTO Member Countries.
Include the NIRS analysis in the electronic key project.

Proposal 2: Regional program on the strengthening of national capabilities for the control of illegal traffic of wood.

Objective: Strengthen the cooperation agreement countries’ capabilities to diminish the illegal traffic of wood.

Activities

Diagnosis of the control systems of each country, with the strengths and weaknesses of the systems.
Analysis of the convergences and divergences (differences) among the systems and the countries’ legislations.
Generate a comparative table on the characteristics of the control and traceability mechanisms.
Generate standards in the field of technology and recommendations in regards to the legal frame.
Information transference among the countries (customs, forest species)

Group 2: Cross-border actions

Proposal: Joint action plan against the cross-border illegal logging and trade

Objective: Join efforts with the purpose of fighting the cross-border illegal trade.

Responsible
Countries / Responsible Institutions / Next Steps / ACTO’s Role
- Bolivia, Brazil
- Surinam, Guiana / - Ministries of Foreign Affairs
- Protected Areas Systems / Step 1: Meeting in each country for internal diagnosis per country
Meeting Places: Subgroup: Colombia-Peru-Ecuador-Brazil
Place: Leticia / - Forest Authorities
- Public Forces / - Input for the first subgroup meeting
- National diagnoses
- Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats / ACTO request
- Subgroup meetings require logistic, technical support, information
Subgroup: Bolivia – Brazil – Peru
Place: Cobija (Bolivia) / Step 2: Meeting of each subgroup (initial), technical, political approaches (April – May)
Subgroup: Suriname – Guiana
Place: Nickirie (Suriname) / Step 3: 2nd Meeting
Subgroups with technical, political, and operative clarities(July – August)
Subgroup: Venezuela – Colombia
Place: Bogotá o Caracas

Note: The development of steps in each subgroup would advance according to the particular situations.

Finally, the Delegations thanked the Government of the Republic of Colombia, to the SS/ACTO for the organization of the Regional Workshop and hospitality received, as well as to the GIZ Amazon Regional Program for the support for the workshop. After the interventions by the Delegates of the Government of Colombia and of the SS/ACTO, the Presidency of the Regional Workshop proceeded to close the Regional Workshop.

Bogota, February 16, 2012

Anexo 1. LISTA DE PARTICIPANTES

Taller Regional sobre Mecanismo de Control de Origen y Trazabilidad de la Madera
Bogotá, Colombia Febrero 14 a 16 de 2012
No. / País / NOMBRES /NAMES / ORGANIZACIÓN / Email
BOLIVIA / Carlos Marcelo Ruiz Vega / Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social de Bosques y Tierra /
BOLIVIA / Fernando R. Pérez Cárdenas / Funcionario de la Unidad Madre Tierra y Agua del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores /
BOLIVIA / Marioly Acuña Soria / Funcionario del Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal INIAF /
BRASIL / Carlos Fabiano Rozindo Cardoso / Coordenador Geral de Autorização de Uso da Flora e Floresta do IBAMA /
BRASIL / Vera T. Rauber Coradin / Analista Ambiental do Serviço Florestal Brasileiro /
BRASIL / André Sócrates de Almeida Teixeira / Analista Ambiental do IBAMA /
COLOMBIA / Xiomara Sanclemente / Directora de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Luz Stella Pulido P. / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Embajador Cesar Emigdio Hernandez Riaño / Director de Soberania Territorial y Desarollo Fronterizo
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
COLOMBIA / Antonio Gómez / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos delMinisterio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Claudia Olarte / Coordinadora Grupo Bosques Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales /
COLOMBIA / Bertha Patricia Alemán / Coordinadora del Grupo de Organismos Regionales y Integración Fronterizo MRE /
COLOMBIA / German Grisales / Punto Focal OTCA
Dirección de Soberania Territorial y Desarollo Fronterizo del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores /
COLOMBIA / Sandra Pazmiño / Dirección de Soberanía Territorial y Desarrollo Fronterizo MRE /
COLOMBIA / Claudia Gómez / Dirección de Soberanía Territorial y Desarrollo Fronterizo MRE /
COLOMBIA / Luz Marina Mantilla / Directora Instituto SINCHI /
ECUADOR / Mauricio Iván Terán Pozo / Coodinador Nacional de Control Forestal
Ministerio del Ambiente /
ECUADOR / Teddy Alberto Escarabay Tintín / Punto Focal CITES
Ministerio del Ambiente /
GUYANA / Mr. Phillip Nessie Bryan DA Silva / Chairman of the Wildlife Scientific Authority /
GUYANA / Mr. Lovell Gregory Rebeiro / Divisional Forest Officer, Forest Monitoring Division, Guyana Forestry Commission /
GUYANA / Mr. Vickram Arjoon / Legality Monitoring and Extension Unit, Guyana Forestry Commission /
PERU / Frank Rivero Fonseca / Organismo de Supervisión de los Recursos Forestales y de Fauna Silvestre – OSINFOR /
PERU / Walter Huamaní Anampa / Dirección de Diversidad Biológica del Viceministerio de Desarrollo Estratégico de los Recursos Naturales – Ministerio del Ambiente /
PERU / Rafael Ramirez Arroyo / Director de Información y Control Forestal y Fauna Silvestre del Ministerio de Agricultura /
SURINAME / Seth Andy Wilfred Panka / Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control /

SURINAME / Marijem Djosetro / Ministry of Physical Planning, Land- and Forestry Management /
SURINAME / Ryan Florien Wijnerman / Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control /
SURINAME / Balvansing Biswajitsing Varma Lakhisaran / Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control /

VENEZUELA / Roberto Villasana Araque / Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ambiente /
VENEZUELA / María Eugenia Benitez Torres / Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ambiente /
VENEZUELA / Peggy Izaguirre Bermudez / Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ambiente /
SP/OTCA / Antonio Matamoros / Coordinador de Medio Ambiente OTCA /
GIZ/PRA / Adriana Rivera / Asesora Técnica /
GIZ/PRA / Anna Mohr / Consultora /
GIZ/PRA / Cristian Guerrero / Asesor Técnico /
/ EXPOSITOR / BRASIL / Alexandre Magno Sebbenn / Instituto Forestal de São Paulo /
CHILE / Tomás Bennett Manzano / Departamento de Fiscalización y Monitoreo de Ecosistemas Forestales /
COLOMBIA / Pablo Manuel Hurtado / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Paula Andrea Rojas / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Rosa Alejandra Ruiz / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Ruben Dario Guerrero / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Blady Nhaydu Bohorquez / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Garrid Rivera / Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Mauricio Molano / Asuntos Internacionales
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible /
COLOMBIA / Claudia Nuñez Prieto / Cooperación Sur Sur y Relaciones Bilaterales para Conservación Fronteriza /
COLOMBIA / Alberto Guevara / Instituto SINCHI Subdirector /
COLOMBIA / Dairon Cardenas Lopez / Instituto Sinchi Profesional /
COLOMBIA / Ana María Hernandez / Asesora de Cooperación y Negociación Internacional del Instituto Humboldt /
COLOMBIA / Ana Celia Salinas / Profesional /
COLOMBIA / Eduardo Sanchez Bernal / Coordinador de Flora /
COLOMBIA / Jose Miguel Orozco / Asesor Proyecto Posicionamiento de La Gobernanza Forestal em Colombia /
COLOMBIA / Juan Manuel Alvarez / Director General /
COLOMBIA / Luis Francisco Rojas / Profesional Especializado /
COLOMBIA / Ruben Dario Moreno / Director Proyecto Gobernanza Forestal /
COLOMBIA / Yoileth Iborguen Mosq. / Subdirector - /
COLOMBIA / Carlos Agusto Motta / Dirección de Carabineros /
COLOMBIA / Maria Piedad Baptiste / Instituto Alexander von Humboldt /

Anexo 2. AGENDA

PRIMER DÍA Martes 14 de febrero

08h00-09h00Registro de Participantes

09h00-09h20Apertura de la reunión

Emb. Cesar Emigdio Hernandez Director (e) de Soberanía Territorial y

Desarrollo Fronterizo del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores

Sra. Luz Stella Pulido

Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible

Sr. Antonio Matamoros

SP/OTCA

09h20-09h30Objetivos de la reunión y antecedentes

Sr. Antonio Matamoros

SP/OTCA

09h30 – 09h45 Presentación de los participantes.

09h45 – 10h00Presentación institucional del SINA

Sra. Luz Stella Pulido

Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible

SECCCIÓN A. Presentaciones de las experiencias e instrumentos de control de origen de la madera utilizados en los Países Miembros.

10h00 – 11h00Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Bolivia

11h00 - 11h15Receso

11h15 – 12h15Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Brasil

12h15 – 14h30Almuerzo

14h30 – 15h30Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Colombia

15h30 – 16h30Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Ecuador

16h30 - 16h45Receso

16h45 – 17h45Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Guyana

17h45 – 18h30Discusión y cierre del primer día

SEGUNDO DÍA Miércoles 15 de febrero

SECCCIÓN A. Presentaciones de las experiencias e instrumentos de control de origen de la madera utilizados en los Países Miembros (continuación)

09h00 – 10h00Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Perú

10h00 – 11h00Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Suriname

11h00 - 11h15Receso

11h15 – 12h15Experiencias y mecanismos utilizados en Venezuela

12h15 – 13h00Debate general

13h00 – 14h30Almuerzo

SECCCIÓN B. Otras experiencias e instrumentos adicionales para el control de origen de la madera.

14h30 – 16h30Introducción a la trazabilidad de la madera y técnicas de huellas isotópicas y genéticas.

Proyectos pilotos y experiencias con el método “huella genética e isotópica” – trazabilidad de caoba en América Latina.

Sr. Alexandre Sebbenn.

Instituto Forestal de São Paulo

16h30 - 16h45Receso

16h45 – 17h15“Lecciones aprendidas” y estado de arte de “huella genética e isotopica”.

Sr. Alexandre Sebbenn

Instituto Forestal de São Paulo

17h15 – 18h00 Discusión tema huella genética e isotópica

TERCER DÍA Jueves 16 de febrero

9:00 – 11:00Presentación y discusión de la propuesta “Claves de identificación electrónica”.

IBAMA Brasil e Instituto SINCHI Colombia

Sra. Vera T Raube Coradin del Servicio Forestal Brasilero

11h00 - 11h15Receso

SECCCIÓN C. Prioridades y oportunidades de cooperación

11:15 – 13h15Discusión sobre prioridades de cooperación y oportunidades de interacción en la región en el tema de control forestal y sus instrumentos.

Grupos de trabajo

13h15 - 14h30Almuerzo

14h30 – 15h30 Presentación de resultados de Grupos de Trabajo.

15h30 - 17h45ConclusiÓn DE LA REUNIÓN

Revisión de las conclusiones de la reunión y elaboración del documento final

Ministerio Del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible

SP/OTCA

17h45 – 18h00Clausura del evento.

Bogotá, 16 de febrero de 2012