Africa is a vast continent with a diversity of cultures. Rather than see this as an impediment to development, the continent should take advantage of this rich cultural diversity in its quest for economic development. That is why Centre for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA), has been recognized as one of the leading organizations in charge of culture, safeguarding and promotion of African languages and African heritage.

Established in 1977 on the initiative of ten Central African countries with UNESCO’s support, CERDOTOLA has tremendously contributed to the development of African languages and heritage through its programmes and activities. This has better positioned the organization as one of the leading centres for promoting African cultures.

Not just that, the emergence of  Charles Binam Bikoi as the Executive Secretary of CERDOTOLA since 2006, and leadership as well as the important structural reforms he had undertaken, have enabled the institution to pass in 2010 from the status of a subregional African institution to an International Organization dedicated to African heritage whose scientific program now aims for the operationalization of the research with a strengthened Pan-African significance illustrated by the adhesion of new member states and a dynamic opening to Diaspora.

This transformation makes CERDOTOLA a preeminent organization of preservation, promotion and valorization of African traditions and languages as development tools. In order to bring optimal support to economic emergence policies adopted by African States and the African Union Agenda 2063, the Executive Secretary of CERDOTOLA is leading a diplomatic initiative for all African States to conclude an African Pact of Development for Emergence through Traditions (PADETRA).

On 12 April, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, and the Executive Secretary of the International Centre for Research and CERDOTOLA, Charles Binam Bikoi, signed an agreement to establish stronger, formal cooperation between the two organizations, drawing on their respective expertise in the fields of culture, safeguarding and promotion of African languages and African heritage.  Its Member States are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe. Its headquarters are in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

It would be noted however, that culture or `the way of life of a people, their ideas, acts, and artifacts'; is one of the main determinants of whether a society develops rapidly or slowly.

In order not to allow Africa’s culture and heritage go into extinction, CERDOTOLA has been playing a significant role in their struggle against exploitation.

As part of its efforts to promote African culture, the organization has over the years gathered necessary data and information on languages spoken in the Central Africa and ultimately produced a linguistic atlas for countries in the region. This singular act has ensued availability of data and information on African languages in the Central Africa which will go a long way in preserving those languages.