Strengthening forestry sector capacities: two webinars focusing on sustainable forest management issues and CITES requirements
Strengthening forestry sector capacities: two webinars focusing on sustainable forest management issues and CITES requirements
19.12.2025
As part of its collaboration with theZoological Society of London (ZSL), ATIBT organized two technical webinars in December 2025 for forestry companies in Central Africa.
These sessions are part of theBiodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF)program implemented by ZSL in Cameroon, Congo, and Gabon, and more specifically inComponent 2 – Inclusive Forest Management, which aims to strengthen sustainable management practices, regulatory compliance, and the integration of biodiversity and climate issues.
These two sessions made it possible to:
strengthen the technical capacitiesof forestry companies
improve understanding oftools for monitoring forest cover, carbon stocks, and GHG emissions;
to clarify the requirementsand their impact on legal supply chains;
to lay the foundations for a roadmap for preparing for the upcoming CITES deadlines
They contribute directly to the objectives of theBiodiverse Landscapes Fundby supporting the private sector in improving sustainable management practices, regulatory compliance, and promoting the efforts made in Central Africa.
Webinar No. 1 – Tools and approaches for sustainable forest management –December 15, 2025 | Online
The aim of this first webinar was to present free online tools available to forestry companies that enable them to monitor changes in the forest cover of their concessions and anticipate and locate pressures on them. The new 2025 versions of the tools for mapping carbon stocks and assessing GHG emissions, developed by TEREA on behalf of the PAFC BC, were also presented.
The webinar brought together more than 40 participants, mainly from forestry companies in Cameroon, Congo, and Gabon, as well as from partner technical organizations.
Main objectives
Strengthen the use of GIS tools and spatial data that are accessible online and free of charge
Improve monitoring of pressures (deforestation, agriculture, infrastructure);
Facilitate the adoption of tools developed under the Congo Basin PAFC.
Key points covered
GIS tools for foresters: potential of GLAD satellite data for near real-time monitoring of forest cover;
Assessment and mapping of carbon stocks at the forest management unit (FMU) level, using methods based on satellite imagery;
Tool for accounting for GHG emissions in certified forestry operations, developed with PPECF funding;
The second webinar focused on recent developments in CITES and their practical implications for forestry operators in the Congo Basin, following CITES CoP20.
This webinar, reserved for ATIBT members and professional organizations,brought together around 35 participants.
Main objectives
To decipher the decisions taken at CoP20;
To analyze their operational impacts for the African wood sector;
To present the 2025 review of ATIBT's CITES actions and the work priorities for 2026.
Key points covered
Reminder of how CITES works and the current challenges it faces for production forests;
Analysis of CoP20 decisions concerning African species (Afzelia, Pterocarpus, Khaya, etc.);
Focus on import permits, stricter domestic measures and their effects on legal trade;
Lessons for Central African states and forestry operators;
Strategic role of ATIBT in supporting Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs), mobilizing scientific data, and dialogue with import markets;
Outlook for 2026: anticipating future listings, strengthening regional approaches, and integrating the private sector.
Speakers
Presentations were given by:
Franck Monthe, Head of CITES Program – ATIBT
With the support of Nicolas Bayol, forestry expert (FRMi) and President of the Forest and Industry ATIBT Commission.
