Notification to the Parties

CONCERNING:

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Withdrawal of recommendation to suspend trade

1. In Notification to the Parties No. 2001/039 of 9 July 2001, the Secretariat conveyed the decision of the Standing Committee at its 45th meeting (Paris, June 2001) to recommend that, until further notice, the Parties refuse any import of specimens of CITES-listed species from and any export or re-export of such specimens to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

2. The Standing Committee provided for the withdrawal of the recommendation to suspend trade when the Secretariat is satisfied that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has: adequately investigated the fraudulent use of permits and certificates previously identified to it by the Secretariat; put in place measures to eliminate, as far as reasonably practical, the abuse or misuse of permits and certificates issued by its Management Authority; and implemented adequate export controls, particularly for live specimens.

3. After two verification missions, undertaken in 2001 and 2002, and extensive communications with the Ministry of Land Management, Environment and Tourism and CITES authorities, the Secretariat has determined that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has substantially fulfilled the conditions established by the Standing Committee for the withdrawal of the recommendation to suspend trade.

4. Accordingly, the Secretariat informs Parties that the recommendation to suspend trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is withdrawn.

5. Parties are hereby informed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently printing and will use new permits and certificates on security paper, and new security stamps, and that only these new permits and certificates should be accepted for trade in CITES-specimens from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Models of these new documents will be forwarded to the Parties as soon as they become available. After trade in specimens of CITES-listed species has resumed, the Democratic Republic of the Congo should send to the Secretariat, for a period of three months, copies of permits and certificates issued to enable it to monitor the resumption of trade and, if appropriate, to offer advice.

6. This Notification replaces Notification to the Parties No. 2001/039 of 9 July 2001.