With the advance of globalization of the forest and paper industries, it has become critically important that the forest and paper industries of countries around the world work together under shared common understanding on issues like illegal logging and paper recycling.
As the pulp and paper trade association of Japan, the third biggest paper producing country, the Japan Paper Association is engaged in active exchanges of information and views with overseas counterpart associations so as to address global issues hand in hand.

As a part of such efforts, every year the Japan Paper Association organizes an about week-long seminar on Japan’s paper recycling system in cooperation with the recovered paper industry and the Japanese government since 2009. Representatives of the paper industries of Asian countries, where such paper recycling is still underdeveloped, participate in the seminar.

The International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) was founded in 2002 for the purpose of promoting an information exchange network among the forest and paper industry associations of countries around the world and developing common positions on issues of global scale such as forest management and climate change. ICFPA participates in the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC and other international forums where it presents the positions of the world forest and paper industry. In cooperation with Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other international organizations, ICFPA works to promote sustainable development of the industry.

Member organizations of ICFPA

The paper and wood industry associations of 18 countries including Japan, the US, Europe, Canada, and Brazil.

ICFPA website：http://icfpa.org/

Major activities of ICFPA

1. ICFPA statements

On behalf of the world forest and paper industry, ICFPA has issued the following statements.

2. ICFPA International CEO Roundtable

CEOs of the forest and paper companies in the world meet at the ICFPA International CEO Roundtable to discuss forest management, climate change, trade issues and other topics of common interest. The first Roundtable was held in 2005. The last meeting was the ninth iteration.

3. Sustainability Progress Report

The second ICFPA International CEO Roundtable held in 2006 adopted the ICFPA CEO Leadership Statement setting forth its commitment in six key areas: energy and climate change mitigation; sustainable forest management; illegal logging eradication; environment management; paper recycling; and investment in communities and employees. As a follow-up, ICFPA issues the ICFPA Sustainability Progress Report every other year since 2007, sharing with people around the world an update on the efforts of the national and regional forest and paper industries in these six areas.

Asian Pulp and Paper Industry Conference for Sustainable Development

Leaders of major paper companies in Asia meet and discuss the common challenges faced by the paper industry such as raw material issues and environmental issues to improve mutual understanding of the current situation and challenges of the paper industry in their countries and regions, as well as to promote friendly ties between them. The first meeting was held in 2008 and the latest was the sixth iteration.

The 1st Asian Pulp and Paper Industry Conference for
Sustainable Development(in Osaka on October 2008)

―Participating countries and region:

Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

For the Asian paper industry meeting, there is a separate organization called the Federation of ASEAN Pulp and Paper Industries (FAPPI) comprising representatives of the paper companies operating in ASEAN countries. JPA actively participates in the meeting to deepen mutual understanding.