Thanks to Hans post, I can finally pass this report to all our bamboo followers. Again, without Hans hard work and dedication, the bamboo industry would not have been growing as it is.
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL: Hans Friederich
2017 was a landmark year for INBAR.
In November, INBAR celebrated its 20th birthday – a remarkable event, at which INBAR was honoured to receive messages of support from a number of world leaders, including China’s President H.E. Xi Jinping.
This year we also welcomed Brazil as our newest Member State. Brazil has over 200 species of bamboo and some rattan, and will be a very important addition to our network. INBAR now has 43 Members – we have come a long way since we were founded by nine countries in 1997. I warmly welcome our friends in Brazil.
Aside from our growth as a network, INBAR has kept up its efforts in advocacy, policy, knowledgesharing and country support. As well as being made an Observer to the United Nations General Assembly, INBAR has organised events at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification's COP13 and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change's COP23. We are also working hard on projects funded by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the European Union; have represented our Members in international conferences and events across the world; and continue to influence policies and spread technologies which have a real impact on people’s lives. This year, we have also kickstarted the Global Assessment of Bamboo and Rattan with the recruitment of a coordinator.
At the flag raising ceremony for Brazil, Senator Jorge Viana said: “The time is right for bamboo and rattan.” At INBAR, we could not agree more. In 2018, we will be hosting the Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress: the first international, policy-focused dialogue and knowledge-sharing conference about nature-based tools for sustainable development. The theme of the conference is 'Enhancing South-South Cooperation for Green Development through Bamboo and Rattan's Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals'. I welcome you to join – you can find more details on our website.
Finally – I would like to offer my sincere thanks to our many partners, Members and donors for your continued support. We look forward to working with you over the next 20 years, to continue encouraging inclusive and green development with bamboo and rattan.