First Announcement 

Galaxy International Convention Center, Macao SAR, China 

Background 
International developments this year show that global timber industries are facing mounting 
issues and increasing challenges in global timber supply chains arising from various 
uncertainties and emerging trends such as continuing regional tensions, significantly rising 
energy prices and transporting costs, continuing trade frictions, evolving policies and 
regulations, further declining market demand, and a weakened global economy. It is essential 
for global timber sector stakeholders to collaborate even more closely and cultivate 
perspectives and inspirations for adapting to emerging situations and trends. 
ITTO’s Legal and Sustainable Supply Chain (LSSC) Programme focuses on the building of legal 
and sustainable supply chains through a multi-pronged and integrated approach of 
governmental frameworks, private sector initiatives, financial resources, and capacity 
building. 
ITTO and IPIM as the implementers of the LSSC Programme, co-organized the inaugural GLSTF 
November 2023 in Macao, in collaboration with the Global Green Supply Chains Initiative 
(GGSC), focused on measures to improve the legality and sustainability of timber supply 
chains. This milestone event brought together nearly 700 participants from 36 countries. 
In September 2024, GLSTF 2024 attracted around 800 representatives from more than 40 
countries, focusing on the global trade in wood products trends, forest carbon sinks, green 
finance, advanced wood industry technology and equipment, climate change, utilization of 
timber resources and other major key topics. 
The GLSTF 2025, with the theme of 'From Forest to Home–An International Dialogue on 
Emerging Consumer Trends and Supply Chains Innovation', expected in-depth discussions 
with important topics on timber supply chains and wood-based products industries, including 
furniture and downstream applications. The registrations records show that the Forum 
attracted numerous key stakeholders from more than 40 countries which seemed above the 
level of previous sessions. The GLSTF 2025 was unfortunately cancelled due to a super 
typhoon where international dialogue and collaboration frameworks were significant 
elements during the preparatory phase. 
The GLSTF 2026, the next milestone event, scheduled on 22-23 September 2026 in Macao, 
will further strengthen this annual collaborative platform on legal and sustainable timber 
supply chains. 

Objective of GLSTF 2026 
The GLSTF 2026 aims to further enhancing networking, collaboration, and business exchange 
among timber and wood products industry stakeholders to strengthen support for 
sustainable tropical forest management and the uptake of legal and sustainable wood 
product supply chains to facilitate legal and sustainable trade and use of wood products in a 
stable, transparent and predictable business environment while contributing to, amongst 
others, sustainable development and climate-change mitigation. 

Date & Venue 
22-23 September 2026 at the Galaxy International Convention Centre, Macao SAR, China. 
Co-hosts & Organizer 

The GLSTF 2026 will continue to be co-hosted by ITTO and IPIM, supported by the GGSC 
Secretariat. The specialized sub-forums will be organized by ITTO, IPIM and the GGSC 
Secretariat in collaboration with partner agencies. 

Forum Structure 
The GLSTF 2026 will comprise the following components: 
1) The Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (main forum) 
2) Four Specialized Sub-forums (sub-forums) 
3) A Legal and Sustainable Timber Industry Display 
4) Other Events & Activities 
 
Theme & Topics 
The GLSTF 2026 theme will be ’Innovation and Transformation – Pursuing Avenues for 
Resilient and Sustainable Global Timber Industries’. 
The main forum will consist of topics related to timber industries in global disruptions, 
transformation of industry & trade patterns for supply chain resilience and innovations for 
sustaining the timber sector. 
The specialized sub-forums will be organized by ITTO, IPIM and GGSC with partner agencies 
on respective themes with selected topics on timber legality and sustainability; sustainable 
timber resources, markets and trade; market trends and industry innovations in furniture & 
home furnishings; green finance and innovative facilitation measures. 

Legal and Sustainable Timber Industry Display 
A legal and sustainable timber industry display of circa 30 exhibition booths will be held during 
the GLSTF 2026. 

Other Events & Activities 
The latest achievements of the Global Timber Index (GTI) and the Blockchain-based Timber 
Traceability System (BTTS) as well as others will be released at the GLSTF 2026. Other business 
activities, B2B sessions and side events will be organized accordingly. 

Participants 
The GLSTF 2026 is expected to attract around 700-800 participants globally from wood 
enterprises, trading companies, industrial and business associations, governments, 
international organizations, research institutions, etc. 

Languages 
The GLSTF 2026 main forum will feature simultaneous interpretation in Chinese, English, 
French, Spanish and Portuguese. The 4 Specialized Sub-forums will feature simultaneous 
interpretation in Chinese, English and French.