Statistics, studies and information
Article 27
1. The Council shall authorize the Executive Director to establish and maintain close relationships with relevant intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to help ensure the availability of recent and reliable data and information, including on production and trade in tropical timber, trends and data discrepancies, as well as relevant information on non-tropical timber and on the management of timber producing forests. As deemed necessary for the operation of this Agreement, the Organization, in cooperation with such organizations, shall compile, collate, analyse and publish such information. 2. The Organization shall contribute to efforts to standardize and harmonize international reporting on forest-related matters, avoiding overlapping and duplication in data collection from different organizations. 3. Members shall, to the fullest extent possible not inconsistent with their national legislation, furnish, within the time specified by the Executive Director, statistics and information on timber, its trade and activities aimed at achieving sustainable management of timber producing forests, as well as other relevant information as requested by the Council. The Council shall decide on the type of information to be provided under this paragraph and on the format in which it is to be presented. 4. Upon request or where necessary, the Council shall endeavour to enhance the technical capacity of member countries, in particular developing member countries, to meet the statistics and reporting requirements under this Agreement. 5. If a member has not furnished, for two consecutive years, the statistics and information required under paragraph 3 and has not sought the assistance of the Executive Director, the Executive Director shall initially request an explanation from that member within a specified time. In the event that no satisfactory explanation is forthcoming, the Council shall take such action as it deems appropriate. 6. The Council shall arrange to have any relevant studies undertaken of the trends and of short and long-term problems of the international timber markets and of the progress towards the achievement of sustainable management of timber producing forests.