International Network for Bamboo and Rattan

International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Name	International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Formation	1997
Type	Intergovernmental organization
Headquarters	Beijing, China
Location	Beijing
Leader title	Executive Director

International Network for Bamboo and Rattan is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1997 to promote the use, conservation, and sustainable management of Bamboo and Rattan across tropical and temperate regions. It operates as a platform linking stakeholders from United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and national agencies such as Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (People's Republic of China) and Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. The organization engages with research institutions, civil society, and private sector actors including World Wildlife Fund, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and regional bodies like Association of Southeast Asian Nations and African Union.

History

The organization was established following international discussions involving representatives from China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, and Kenya and was influenced by earlier initiatives involving United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Global Environment Facility. Early milestones include collaboration with Yunnan Provincial Government projects, memoranda with Chinese Academy of Sciences, and technical partnerships with CIRAD, Bioversity International, and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry. Over the years it has engaged with multilateral processes such as the Paris Agreement, Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and workstreams of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mandate and Objectives

The mandate emphasizes sustainable development goals articulated by United Nations General Assembly, linkage to Sustainable Development Goal 15, and contribution to Agenda 2030. Core objectives include conservation of genetic resources tied to International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, value chain development modeled with partners like World Bank, promotion of climate mitigation measures referenced in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, and poverty alleviation in line with International Labour Organization priorities. The organization seeks to harmonize standards with bodies such as International Organization for Standardization and cooperate on trade facilitation with World Trade Organization.

Governance and Membership

Governance features a council and technical committees composed of representatives from member states including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Colombia, and Peru. Membership modalities echo those of regional groupings like South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and mechanisms similar to Commonwealth Secretariat consultations. Advisory inputs come from institutions such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, Wageningen University, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and National Bamboo Research Centre (India). Financial and technical support has been provided by entities including Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and bilateral partners like Japan International Cooperation Agency and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Programs and Activities

Programs span sustainable plantation development, market access, and policy advisory services, implemented alongside organizations such as United Nations Environment Programme, International Finance Corporation, Export-Import Bank of China, and European Union. Activities include standards development in tandem with Forest Stewardship Council, entrepreneurship promotion similar to Schwab Foundation models, and livelihoods projects coordinated with CARE International and Oxfam. Capacity-building initiatives draw on curricula from FAO and technical manuals produced with ICRAF and CIFOR expertise. The organization also convenes international forums comparable to World Forestry Congress and thematic workshops echoing UNFCCC technology dialogues.

Research and Capacity Building

Research collaborations involve universities and research centers such as Chinese Academy of Forestry, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Segundo Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, National University of Colombia, and Makerere University. Studies address topics referenced in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, including carbon sequestration, ecosystem services, and agroforestry systems. Training programs have been run with Food and Agriculture Organization frameworks, scholarship links to Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and technical exchanges with Kew Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Smithsonian Institution. The network publishes guidance informed by standards from ISO and methodologies used by World Resources Institute.

Projects and Partnerships

Notable projects have been implemented in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture (Brazil), National Forestry Commission (Mexico), State Forestry Administration (China), Kenya Forestry Research Institute, and provincial authorities in Yunnan and Jiangxi. Partnerships extend to private firms and social enterprises similar to Bamboo Living and collaboration with certification bodies like Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. Multilateral project funders have included Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and United Nations Capital Development Fund. Cross-sector alliances have connected the network to initiatives such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and United Cities and Local Governments.

Impact and Recognition

The organization’s impact is reflected in policy adoption by member countries, enhanced value chains in regions such as Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Amazon Basin, and incorporation of bamboo and rattan in climate strategies referenced by Nationally Determined Contributions. Recognition has come from awards and acknowledgments involving entities like UNFCCC, World Bank Group, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and inclusion in advisory lists for Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Its work has featured in reports by United Nations Environment Programme, FAO, and analyses published by Nature and Science.

Category:International environmental organizations Category:Bamboo