CITES Tree Species Programme
The CITES tree species programme aims to provide direct financial assistance to Parties in taking conservation and management measures to ensure that their trade in timber, bark, extracts and other products from CITES-listed tree species is sustainable, legal and traceable.
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Background
Concerned that the long-term survival, of commercially valuable tree species may be threatened by over-exploitation, the CITES Conference of the Parties has agreed to include more than 900 tree species under the CITES Appendices. Products of these tree species may only be exported if the Scientific Authority of that Party has advised that the export of the specimens will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.
To that end, the CITES tree species programme aims to provide direct financial assistance to Parties in taking conservation and management measures to ensure that their trade in timber, bark, extracts and other products from CITES-listed tree species is sustainable, legal and traceable.
Mission
The CITES Tree Species Programme seeks to foster economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development. It helps maximizing CITES contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 15 as it relates to sustainably managing forests and halting biodiversity loss. The Programme aims to improve and strengthen forest governance to ensure benefit from long-term species conservation and contribute to rural development in often remote areas, sustainable economic growth at country level and long-term poverty alleviation.
Core areas of work
The Programme supports Parties that export valuable parts and derivatives of CITES-listed tree species by providing them direct financial assistance for taking conservation and management measures to ensure that their trade in timber, bark, extracts and other products from CITES-listed tree species is sustainable, legal and traceable. This will be achieved through improved practical and technological capacity for the development of non-detriment findings, enhanced silvicultural and ecological knowledge for the management of CITES-listed tree species, increased capacity in the identification of timber and non-timber forest products and effective information and tracking systems.
Resolutions and Decisions
Related documents
- CoP18 Doc.16 CITES Tree Species Programme
- PC24 Doc.9.2 The CITES Tree Species Programme: Report of the Secretariat
- Notification to Parties No.2017/059
Core Areas of Work
- Formulation of non-detriment findings
- Marking & traceability
- Tree products identification
- Capacity building & governance
Geographical & Taxonomic scope
- Asia: Dalbergia cochichiniensis, Pterocarpus sanctalinus, Taxus spp., Aquilaria spp., Gyrinops spp., Gonystylus spp.
- Africa: Diospyros spp. (Madagascar), Dalbergia spp. (Madagascar), Pericopsis elata, Osyris lanceolata, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Prunus africana, Guibourtia demeusei; G. pellegriniana; G. tessmsnnii
- Central and South America and the Caribbean: Swietenia spp., Dalbergia spp., Platymiscium dimorphandrum, Platymiscium yucatanum, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Lonchocarpus castilloi, Astronium graveolens, Aniba rosaedora, Bulnesia sarmientoi, Guaiacum spp.
Expected Programme Outcomes
- Ensure the sustainable management of rare tree species and their products;
- Contribute to legal, traceable, and fair trade in products from CITES tree species;
- Improve and strengthen forest governance, policies for forest management, and enforcement capacity and ensure benefit from long-term; and
- Contribute to the rural development in often remote areas, sustainable economic growth at a country level, a healthy private sector, and long-term poverty alleviation.
Advisory Committee
- The Advisory Committee ensures strategic advice and guidance to the programme, through advice on programme implementation, proposal applications, annual progress report.
Donors
The CITES Tree Species Programme is dependent on donor support. The European Union has been the most important donor, whose contribution includes EUR 7 million earmarked to support the CITES tree species programme to be implemented by the CITES Secretariat, and EUR 1 million for the African Elephant Fund to be implemented by UNEP.
Regional Support
To facilitate a smooth implementation of the CITES tree species programme, three Regional Coordinators have been appointed, whose tasks include:
- Assist with the formulation of national project needs and priorities;
- Assist with the design of projects/activities;
- Monitor the progress of the implementation of approved activities and budgeting by implementing agencies;
- Assist in convening meetings as relevant;
- Provide technical advice to avoid duplication of effort; and
- Interact with other projects and programmes of the CITES Secretariat as requested
CITES Tree Species Programme Team
Ms Sofie H. Flensborg, Acting Coordinator
Ms. Sofia Hirakuri, Regional Coordinator for Central and South America and the Caribbean
email: [email protected]
Mr. Jean Lagarde Betti, Regional Coordinator for Africa
e-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Hooi Chiew Thang, Regional Coordinator for Asia
e-mail: [email protected]