CITES Tree Species Project – Sustainable tree trade and forest governance

Valuable timber, aromatic, and medicinal trees are essential global commodities. However, illegal and unsustainable harvesting poses a threat, rapidly leading to deforestation. Currently, many high-value tree species face overexploitation due to their commercial value, with a significant number listed by CITES being illicitly harvested and traded, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America. To address this problem, the CITES project focuses on aligning sustainable forest management with CITES provisions. The goal is to enhance compliance with the Convention's requirements, promoting legal and sustainable trade in commercially significant tree species.

Project data

IKI funding
10,000,000.00 €
Duration
12/2023 till 12/2029
Status
open
Implementing organisation
CITES Secretariat
Online
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State of implementation/results

  • Fund under implementation since March 2025.
  • The project addresses the illegal, unregulated and unsustainable harvesting of and trade in CITES-listed tree species, which leads to deforestation, forest degradation, and loss of biodiversity.
  • In response, the project aims to align sustainable forest management (SFM) with CITES provisions, enhancing compliance with the Convention's requirements and promoting legal and sustainable trade in CITES-listed tree species.
  • The project has published a call for project proposals, which expired at the end of June 2025 (Notification 2025/059 of 25 April 2025, cites.org/…). The CITES Secretariat has received 50 proposals, which are currently undergoing the selection process based on the criteria set out in the project document.
  • The main thrust of the project will be the provision of direct support to developing country parties that are range states of these species, focusing on CITES Management Authorities, responsible for ensuring the legality, and Scientific Authorities, responsible for assessing the sustainability of trade. National enforcement agencies are also eligible for support to strengthen their capacity for tackling illegal trade.
  • By focusing on sustainable forest management, the future selected projects will support biodiversity conservation, strengthen trade regulations, and contribute to broader global climate goals.

Latest Update:
12/2025

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