Mission Statement | Founding meeting

World Furniture Confederation founded in Shanghai

On September 10th at 18.00hrs, two supra national organizations and 17 national organizations representing furniture manufacturers in their respective regions or countries signed the founding act of the World Furniture Confederation. The event took place in the Pearl Room of the Shanghai International Conference Center and was hosted by the China National Furniture Association, one of the founding members.
President Jia of CNFA welcomed the participants to what he called was a meeting of historical importance for the furniture sector world wide.
The initiative had been launched by the UEA during the 1st World Furniture Congress that the UEA organized in Palma de Majorca last year and was taken on board enthusiastically by representatives of furniture manufacturing organizations all over the world.
The statutes that had been discussed throughout the passed year by the interested parties specify the objectives of the World Furniture Confederation as follows:

To promote the interests of the furniture industry world wide.
To eliminate all barriers to trade in furniture and materials used in its production.
To promote the co-operation among industry organisations and among furniture companies world wide.
To promote the creation of regional supra national furniture manufacturers organisations.
To organise a yearly World Furniture Congress

The founders then proceeded to elect Mr. Calixto Valenti, president of the UEA (Union Européenne de l’Ameublement, European Furniture Manufacturers Federation) as WFC president for a first three year term. UEA secretary General Bart De Turck will be secretary general of the WFC during the same period. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Valenti insisted on already taking some what he called crucial resolutions on free trade and design protection.

“It is important that we show the world that it is our intention to be serious about this organisation and to make the voice of the furniture industry heard. Immediately taking a resolution about the free trade and about the protection of design shows where our priorities lie and we want the authorities on international and national level to be aware of this.”

President Valenti also invited the newly created directors’ board to work on a detailed work programme that will be finalised during a meeting in Paris next January. He also invited other organisations to join the WFC either as member or supporting members. The founding meeting of the World Furniture Confederation took place on the eve of the 2nd World Furniture Congress that was organised by the CNFA. CNFA also hosted a dinner for the founding organizations afterwards.