Promotion of Sustainable Management of African Forests (ITTO/ATO)

Gabon

This Regional project submitted to ITTO by Gabon was formulated pursuant to ITTC Decision 4(XXIX) in order to develop a framework of cooperation between ITTO and ATO for the promotion and application of ATO/ITTO principles, criteria and indicators (PCI) for the sustainable management of African forests, which could eventually lead to credible assessment and certification systems. It involves extensive capacity building in ten member countries and within ATO itself. The specific objectives of the project are to establish key elements of adequate capacity:

1. to implement ATO/ITTO PCI at national level in the African Member Countries of ITTO.
2. for effective regional-level cooperation through the ATO to support individual Member Countries to implement the ATO/ITTO PCI.

The phasing of the implementation of the project is as follows:

Phase I Capacity building at regional and national levels in selected ITTO member countries and development of draft harmonized PCI (43 months, stages one and two completed).
Phase II Capacity building at national level in the other ITTO member countries and among beneficiaries within selected countries, including establishment of C&I working groups in all countries (35 months, stages one and two completed).
Phase III Capacity building among beneficiaries within ITTO member countries, including on the use of the PCI in certification and/or legality assurance initiatives (stage one underway, stage 2 pending finance).

Phase III concerns all 10 countries having nationally agreed and internationally accepted C&I/auditing frameworks. The results will serve as the basis for independent certification for countries desiring or requiring this.