CITES CoP20: in Samarkand, ATIBT represents the tropical timber industry alongside Central African countries

21.11.2025

The 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP20) will be held in Samarkand from November 24 to December 5, 2025. As at every session, ATIBT will be present to support the delegations from Central African countries and, together with them, raise issues related to the sustainable management and responsible trade of tropical species.

For several months, ATIBT has been working closely with COMIFAC, national CITES authorities, forestry administrations, and technical and scientific partners to support the preparation of regional positions and proposals to be submitted to CoP20.

This collaboration aims in particular to defend an approach based on science, sustainability, traceability, and international recognition of the significant efforts made by producer countries for more than thirty years.

In Samarkand, ATIBT will support delegations on several strategic issues, including:

CoP20 Prop. 45– Proposal to remove Central African populations of Afzelia bipindensis from Appendix II;
CoP20 Prop. 47– Proposal to remove Central African populations of Pterocarpus soyauxii (Padouk) from Appendix II;
CoP20 Doc. 48– Proposal to amend Resolution Conf. 12.3 (Permits and certificates), aimed at improving and clarifying permit issuance procedures, particularly for Appendix II species;
Cross-cutting discussions related to traceability, ACNPs, and consistency between CITES requirements, international regulations, and certification systems.

ATIBT's participation in CoP20 is part of its ongoing work on behalf of private operators, forestry administrations, and regional partners, with a clear objective: to contribute to an effective, equitable, and scientifically sound CITES framework that guarantees both species conservation and the viability of legal trade.

You can follow all the documents and discussions of CoP20 directly on the official CITES website: https://cites.org/fra/cop/20

ATIBT’s presence is supported by Tropical Timber Trade Facility (TTT) , a project commissioned by the German government and implemented by GIZ.