CITES - Central Africa: a stronger regional dynamic to ensure sustainable trade in tropical timber

From March 17 to 20, 2025, a major regional workshop was held in Douala (Cameroon), dedicated to sharing capacity-building tools for the development and implementation of Non-Detriment Finding Notices (NDFs), in application of CITES Appendix II for timber species in Central Africa.
Organized by COMIFAC with the technical and financial support of partners including PPECF, ATIBT, FRMi and Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, this workshop brought together management bodies, scientific authorities, forestry experts, private sector representatives and international institutions, around a common objective: to strengthen national capacities and harmonize NDFs approaches in the sub-region.

Key results included :

Validation of the regional NDF framework, the fruit of a collaborative process based on international guidelines (notably module 10 from the Nairobi global workshop), the EU's 9-step approach, etc.
In-depth technical exchanges on methods for calculating export quotas and reconstitution rates, including the new requirements of the European Union's Scientific Review Group (SRG).
The establishment of a consensus on the development of a digital quota tracking tool, guaranteeing transparency, consistency and traceability.

The workshop conclusions were consolidated in a draft notification to be forwarded to the CITES Secretariat by the Central African representative on the Standing Committee. This process culminated in the official publication, on April 15, 2025, of Notification n°2025/056, available on the CITES website:

Notification n°2025/056 - Non-detriment findings (NDFs) for timber species in Central Africa

This notification confirms the recognition of the regional framework as the reference framework for the elaboration of NDFs for Appendix II species.
The process initiated in Douala continues with :

A dialogue mission with the European Commission on persistent blockages concerning import permits;
Increased technical support to countries in drafting their NDFs;
Strategic preparations for CoP20.

ATIBT welcomes this exemplary regional mobilization and reaffirms its commitment alongside national authorities, COMIFAC and its partners to promote a tropical timber trade that fully complies with national legal frameworks, is based on the principles of legality, sustainability and traceability, and is aligned with the requirements of the CITES Convention.