ITTO-CITES programme on timber species

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the CITES Secretariats are collaborating on a programme of activities aimed at ensuring that international trade in CITES-listed timber species is consistent with their sustainable management and conservation. This capacity-building project is funded through the ITTO by a large grant from the European Commission, with additional funding from Japan, Norway and the United States of America.

Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata), bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and ramin (Gonystylus spp.) were included in CITES Appendix II in 1992, 2003 and 2005, respectively. Realizing the challenges that range States face to implement the requirements of these listings, the project goals are to help countries strengthen their capacities to make non-detriment findings, enhance national legislation and enforcement, and generally ensure the proper implementation of CITES. The ITTO and CITES Secretariats presented a progress report on this joint programme of work at the 17th meeting of the Plants Committee (Geneva, 15-19 April 2008). This report is available here.

As part of the programme of work, the ITTO and CITES Secretariats convened a regional workshop in Kribi, Cameroon, from 2 to 4 April 2008. The goal of the workshop was to assist African range States and importing countries in developing a participatory action plan to ensure that international trade in afrormosia is consistent with its sustainable management and conservation. The results of that workshop can be found on the ITTO website.