The International Centre for Research and Documentaion on African Traditions and Languages (CERTODOLA) since its establishment in 1977 has been championing the promotion and preservation of African culture and traditions.

Established in 1977 by ten Central African countries, CERDOTOLA  is an intergovernmental institution that works for sub-regional cooperation in the field of culture and in human and social sciences applied to the knowledge, protection, safeguarding and enhancement of the traditional world, history, languages and cultural heritage of Africa.  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.

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.

It is presently been led by the Executive Secretary, Charles Binam Bikoi whose leadership style and reforms have enabled the organization develop from been a sub-regional African institution to an international organization committed to African heritage.

Over the years, CERDOTOLA has also strengthen collaborations with like-minded organizations with the ultimate goal of preserving African culture.

On 12 April, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, and the Executive Secretary of the International Centre for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA), Charles Binan Bikoi, signed an agreement to establish stronger, formal cooperation between the two Organizations, drawing on their respective expertise in the fields of culture and the safeguarding and promotion of African languages and African heritage.

"I am especially honored that the signing of this agreement occurs during the 50th anniversary of the African Union which has chosen the theme of African Renaissance, a renaissance based on the richness of African cultures, and reflected by the diversity of their oral heritage," said the Director-General.

As Executive Secretary, Charles Binan Bikoi said that the "Agreement is a historic event for Africa and for humanity." He went on to say that "culture remains the poor relation of development policies" and he highlighted that "there is no humanity without culture, there is no humanity without intellectual and creative production".