Sixth Committee (Legal) — 80th session
Observer status for the International Tropical Timber Organization in the General Assembly (Agenda item 174)
- Item proposed by Angola, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru and Sweden: A/80/191
- List of speakers
Documentation
- A/80/191 — Letter dated 25 July 2025 from the representatives of Angola, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru and Sweden to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
- A/C.6/80/L.4 — Draft resolution
Summary of work
Background (source: A/80/200)
By the letter dated 25 July 2025 (A/80/191) addressed to the Secretary-General, the representatives of Angola, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru and Sweden to the United Nations requested the inclusion of this item in the provisional agenda of the eightieth session.
Consideration at the eightieth session
The Sixth Committee considered the item at its 17th and 38th meetings, on 16 October and 21 November 2025 (see A/C.6/80/SR.17 and 38).
Statements were made by the representatives of Brazil, Malaysia and the United States of America.
The representative of Brazil spoke in the exercise of the right of reply.
Support was expressed for granting observer status to the International Tropical Timber Organization, in view of its crucial role in the promotion of sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber. The view was expressed that the International Tropical Timber Organization met the criteria for observer status set forth in General Assembly decision 49/426.
An objection to the approval of any new requests for observer status was raised, and a more disciplined approach to observer status was called for.
Archived videos and summaries of plenary meetings
17th meeting (16 October 2025, 10:00am – 1:00pm) | Summary
38th meeting (21 November 2025, 10:30am – 1:00pm) | Summary
Action taken by the Sixth Committee
At the 17th meeting, on 16 October, the representative of Brazil (also on behalf of Angola, Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, and Sweden) introduced the draft resolution entitled “Observer status for the International Tropical Timber Organization in the General Assembly” (A/C.6/80/L.4) and announced that Mongolia, Myanmar and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland had joined as sponsors of the draft resolution.
At the 38th meeting, on 21 November, the representative of Brazil announced that the sponsor delegations had decided not to pursue the request for observer status for the International Tropical Timber Organization at the current session, while reserving the right to present it at a future session.
At the same meeting, the Committee concluded its consideration of agenda item 174 without taking action.
Subsequent action taken by the General Assembly
- Report of the Sixth Committee: A/80/476
