17.10.2025
In Panama, ATIBT reaffirms its leading role in the certification and sustainable management of tropical forests — through concrete proposals, expert discussions, and networking meetings.
Three motions accepted by the Motion Committee, two side meetings, and a festive gathering to bring together the tropical timber community
The ATIBT will actively participate in the FSC General Assembly, to be held in Panama from October 27 to 31, 2025.
Represented by Caroline Duhesme, Director of Strategy & Innovation, and Nathalie Bouville, Communications Manager, ATIBT will represent the tropical sector through concrete proposals, thematic discussions, and a moment of conviviality and unity.
Three ATIBT motions formally accepted by the committee
The FSC Motions Committee has approved three proposals submitted by ATIBT, which demonstrate its commitment to a more rigorous, consistent FSC system that is adapted to tropical realities:
This motion aims to raise the level of expertise, training, and supervision of FSC auditors, particularly in high-risk areas.
It proposes concrete measures to ensure more reliable and credible audits, notably through the integration of local experts, better calibration between certification bodies, and enhanced monitoring by ASI.
Proposed by ATIBT and co-signed by Alan Smith and John Palmer, this motion calls on the FSC to have its certification recognized as a credible tool in international regulatory frameworks—such as the EUDR, CITES, FLEGT, the Lacey Act, and the future CSDDD directive.
It highlights the complementarity between voluntary certification and legal requirements, while preserving the independence and multi-stakeholder governance of the FSC.
This motion promotes the development of a strategic framework for landscape approaches, beyond certified concessions alone, in order to integrate governments, local communities, and economic actors into the sustainable management of forest areas.
The objective is to encourage models of shared governance linked to biodiversity, carbon, and restoration, in line with the FSC's spirit of sustainability and resilience.
ATIBT will co-organize two side meetings with Rainforest Alliance that will address key issues in tropical forest management and certified timber markets:
30 Years of Tropical Natural Forests and FSC Certification: What We’ve Learned, and Where We Go Next
This session will look back on 30 years of sustainable management in tropical natural forests and explore ways forward to maintain the relevance of the FSC in the face of ecological, social, and economic changes.
Tropical Timber Markets & Value Chains: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward for Responsible Forestry
This discussion will focus on the role of the market in promoting sustainable management, bringing together producers, buyers, NGOs, and institutions to discuss ways to strengthen demand for certified tropical timber.
The ATIBT and Rainforest Alliance will also host a Tropical Wood Community networking cocktail party at the Westin Hotel in Panama (on the site of the GA) on Tuesday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m.
This friendly gathering will bring together FSC members, institutional partners, NGOs, companies, and representatives from the Congo Basin to foster synergies, strengthen ties, and promote collective initiatives in favor of sustainable tropical timber.
With its motions approved, its side meetings co-organized with Rainforest Alliance, and this networking event, ATIBT is asserting its position as a key player in the international dialogue on sustainable tropical forest management.
These initiatives reflect a shared ambition: to strengthen the credibility of the FSC, consolidate the tropical timber industry, and work together to build a sustainable future for the forests of the South.
Theses event are partially supported by Tropical Timber Trade Facility (TTT) , a project commissioned by the German government and implemented by GIZ.
