The IHR (2005) is an international agreement between 194 States Parties and the World Health Organization on surveillance, sunshine and response to all events that could pose a threat to international public health. The objective of the IHR (2005) is to prevent, protect, control and respond to a public health response to the spread of diseases internationally, in a manner adapted to public health risks, limited to them, avoiding unnecessary intervention in international transport and trade. (International Health Regulations, Article 2). For more information, please see THE LA fact sheets. International agreements are formal agreements or commitments between two or more countries. An agreement between two countries is described as „bilateral,“ while an agreement between several countries is „multilateral.“ Countries bound by an international convention are generally referred to as „Parties.“ b) International agreements – Rainforest hardwood provides wood for furniture and is in high demand because of its good quality. This is why many international agreements make the policy that the countries concerned will completely ban the trade in hardwoods. There are also international agreements on the use of tropical hardwoods and logging. The International Tropical Woods Agreement was established in 2006 to „promote the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests and promote the sustainable management of tropical timber-producing forests.“ 71 countries have signed the UN-sponsored agreement. International agreements – Tropical hardwoods, such as mahogany, are in high demand in rich countries to make furniture. This high demand leads to an increase in the rate of illegal deforestation. To overcome these international agreements, there is a restriction of wood that does not come from a sustainable source imported into the countries. FSC is an example.
The Forest Stewardship Council buys sustainable wood and identifies these products with their logo so that traders know that the wood is being purchased sustainably. International Agreements on the Use of Tropical Hardwoods A number of international treaties deal in whole or in part with the protection of geographical indications. Below are links to relevant contracts managed by WIPO, as well as to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
