Regional Training Workshop on CITES Non-detriment Findings (NDF) for Timber Species listed in Appendix II + Trade and Markets Day

At the Nineteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Panama in November 2022, parties adopted the listings of African timber species Afzelia to be included in Appendix II. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in collaboration with Office de Développement et d'Exploitation des Forêts (ODEF) is organizing a regional workshop for West Africa. The workshop will be conducted in collaboration with Scientific Authorities (SA), Management Authorities (MA) and other relevant regulatory bodies in trade of timber species in West Africa.

Global Objective: Train West African CITES SAs, MAs and Forestry Department officials with the respective methodology for determining non-detriment findings for CITES Appendix II listed timber species by applying the latest version of the 9-Step NDF process for tree species and preparing an NDF using Afzelia as a case study.

In addition to the NDF training workshop, a conference on Trade and Markets with private sector engagement will be conducted on Friday, 16 May 2025. This component will bring together major players in the timber industry and other stakeholders to discuss contemporary issues such as European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), CITES regulation of Appendix II listed species, outlook of trade and markets in the timber industry, among others.