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CITES Capacity Building

UK Customs officers on a Kew training course

This project seeks to help build capacity within Kew and CITES Parties to implement CITES for plants by providing training and training materials. This occurs at three levels, within Kew, national and international. Within Kew we run flexible training modules for international diploma course students, UK-based MSc/BSc courses, Kew staff and students. At national level we provide training for UK enforcement officials namely HM Revenue and Customs, the Police and Defra Wildlife Inspectorate. In addition, we produce UK targeted guidance manuals and posters for key species in trade – in particular timber – and direct these to individuals who are at the front line of implementation and enforcement.

As well as the input to the international Higher Education Courses at Kew, at international level we produce the CITES User’s Guide series which deals with the major groups of CITES listed plants in trade and looks at implementation, identification and enforcement. The User Guides are based on Microsoft PowerPoint presentations which are included in the manuals on a CD-ROM. All the manuals are produced in English, Spanish and French. In addition, we carry out on site and in situ training based on the User Guides. The level of in situ training is based on requests from CITES Parties and staff resources. Products in the last five years include 3 sets of Timber manuals, CD-ROMs and Posters for UK implementation and enforcement officials, the CITES User Guides CITES and Plants, CITES and Succulents and CITES and Slipper Orchids. Training and briefings on medicinal plants has been provided by Kew’s Chinese Medicinal Plants Authentication and Conservation Centre (CMPACC).

This programme is linked to the CBD Capacity Building programme and is ongoing with funding coming from a range of sources. We have completed  a contract with Defra to produce a series of training materials. We are currently seeking funds to produce further manuals.

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