At its 9th Session the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources recommended, that FAO take steps to catalyze further action and to coordinate already ongoing work in the conservation and sustainable use of mahogany species, initially focusing attention and interest on species of neotropical genera of the Meliaceae. Activities should, in subsequent phases of the work, be expanded to also cover the Asia-Pacific and the African regions.

As a follow-up to this recommendation, the FAO Forestry Department has, through Author's Contracts with four experts in South and Central America - Mr. C. Linares of Peru, Mr. P.Y. Kageyama of Brazil, Mr. C. Navarro of Costa Rica and Mr. F. Patino of Mexico have prepared reports describing the ecology, silviculture, management, utilization and conservation of mahogany species in the region. The reports also list on-going activities and gaps in current knowledge and activities, and propose programmes of collaborative activities in the region. The reports, all in Spanish, are available from the Forest Resources Division of FAO.

A synthesis of the reports has been prepared for presentation at the International Conference on Big-leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in Puerto Rico, organized by the International Institute of Tropical Forestry in technical collaboration with FAO, in October 1996.

Following this Conference, FAO will in collaboration with national institutes and organizations, investigate the possibilities of developing a Network dealing with the utilization and conservation of the genetic resources of mahogany species. Based on the studies and discussions so far, it seems likely that the Network in the first phase will be dealing with the exploration, collection, exchange and evaluation of genetic resources of Swietenia macrophylla and Cedrela odorata, plus collaborative research activities in the fields, among others, of shoot borer resistance and genetic diversity.