19.06.2026
As part of its commitment to the effective implementation of CITES and the sustainable management of tropical forests, ATIBT organized, from June 8 to 13, 2026, in Ndéré (PK 26, Bangui–Boali highway), a national workshop dedicated to the development of Non-Detrimental Trade Certificates (NDTCs) for timber species listed in CITES Appendix II in the Central African Republic.
Bringing together more than twenty participants from the CITES Management Authority, scientific authorities, the forestry administration, the private forestry sector, technical partners, and the media, the workshop aimed to strengthen national capacity in preparing NFA, which are now essential for demonstrating the sustainability of international trade in the species concerned.
One of the main takeaways from the workshop was the need to move beyond an approach focused solely on setting annual quotas and adopt a genuine NPA-based approach grounded in scientific data, biological parameters, forest inventory results, management rules, harvest levels, stocks, and trade flows.
The workshop drew on the regional guidelines established at the Douala workshop in March 2025, as well as CITES Module 10, which addresses NAPs for tree species.
Participants focused primarily on red padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii), a species of major economic importance to the Central African Republic and recently listed in CITES Appendix II.
During the workshop, a substantial body of documentation was compiled and organized, including in particular:
This data was used to create national databases and perform harmonized calculations of regeneration rates for the country’s various forest concessions.
Participants thus validated a common approach based on applying a maximum harvesting rate to the initial inventoried potential above the minimum management diameter (MMD), while clearly distinguishing between inventoried, authorized, harvested, stockpiled, and exported volumes.
The workshop led to the drafting of an initial version of the ACNP dedicated to Pterocarpus soyauxii. This document already includes the main elements relating to the institutional framework, forest management, regeneration parameters, population structures, and the method for determining quotas.
Although several data points still need to be consolidated before official validation, this first draft represents a major step toward producing the first national reference ACNP for CITES timber species in the Central African Republic.
Beyond the immediate technical results, the work has made it possible to define a national roadmap for finalizing the ACNPs and preparing the 2027 quotas. The recommendations focus in particular on consolidating biological and trade data, strengthening species identification capabilities, improving traceability, and clarifying institutional responsibilities.
This approach will help ensure that future exports of CITES-listed timber species are based on sound scientific foundations and meet the expectations of international markets.
This activity was carried out with support from ATIBT as part of the Trade and Tropical Timber (TTT) project. The project aims to strengthen the sustainable management of tropical forests and improve the compliance of tropical timber supply chains with international requirements, particularly those of CITES.
Through this support, ATIBT reaffirms its commitment to working alongside Central African producer countries to develop robust scientific tools, strengthen national capacities, and promote legal, sustainable, and responsible trade in forest resources.
