Consideration of Risks and Impacts associated with Prematurely Lifting the Trade Ban for SC77

A briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) arguing against lifting the CITES trade suspension for Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood) in West and Central Africa, citing ongoing illegal trafficking and the risk of setting a dangerous precedent through 'special authorizations' and inadequate Non-Detriment Findings.

• The CITES trade suspension of Pterocarpus erinaceus, in effect since March 2022, has successfully limited international trafficking and improved the conservation of the endangered rosewood species found in western and central Africa's dry savannahs.
• Despite the suspension, illegal logging and international trafficking continue in West Africa, and recent trade data indicates that while exports have slowed, they have not ceased entirely.
• Requests for 'special authorizations' to export stocks—specifically a request from Sierra Leone for 160,000 cubic meters of P. erinaceus without a Legal Acquisition Finding or sustainable harvest quotas—and the acceptance of sub-par Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs), such as the one provided by Mali, threaten to undermine conservation efforts and encourage other countries to adopt similar unsustainable practices.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2023). Consideration of Risks and Impacts associated with Prematurely Lifting the Trade Ban for SC77. https://www.ciel.org/reports/opening-the-rosewood-pandora-box/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Consideration of Risks and Impacts associated with Prematurely Lifting the Trade Ban for SC77. 2023. https://www.ciel.org/reports/opening-the-rosewood-pandora-box/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Consideration of Risks and Impacts associated with Prematurely Lifting the Trade Ban for SC77 |date=6 November 2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/opening-the-rosewood-pandora-box/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2023consideration, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Consideration of Risks and Impacts associated with Prematurely Lifting the Trade Ban for SC77}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/opening-the-rosewood-pandora-box/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }