China Williams

Senior Science Officer (Science Policy)

Department

Science Operations

Team

Conservation Policy

Specialism

Convention on biological diversity (CBD), access and benefit sharing, conservation and sustainable use

My role focuses on ensuring that Kew staff comply with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources, as well as the national laws of our partner countries. This involves supporting Kew staff preparing for overseas collecting trips, developing legal agreements with partners, and making sure that policies in all research areas ensure that we are using material legally.  In addition I represent Kew at national and international meetings and work with the UK government so that Kew’s breadth of science knowledge is used to guide policy decisions. I have developed and deliver a range of policy training modules for Kew staff, partners,  others in the non commercial research sector and also at the graduate and post graduate level.

  • MA, Edinburgh University, 1991
  • Dip. Law, City University, 1993
  • Called to the Bar, 1994
  • LLM, SOAS, London University, 1998

CETAF (2015)

Code of Conduct and Best Practices

Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities. Available online

Ahrén, M., Ali, N., Cabrera Medaglia, J. A., Greiber, T., Kamau, E. C., Nieto Carrasco, J., Oliva, M. J., Pena Moreno, S., Perron-Welch, F. & Williams, C. (2012)

An explanatory guide to the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing

IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Paper no. 083. Available online

Williams, C. (2011)

Access and Benefit Sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity: Update from COP10 in Nagoya

Medicinal Plant Conservation 14:17-21

Williams, C., Davis, K. & Cheyne, P. (2009) 

The CBD for Botanists (3rd Edition): an introduction to the Convention on Biological Diversity for people working with botanical collections

Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Darwin Initiative. CD-ROM. (available in English, French and Spanish)

Williams, C., Davis, K. & Cheyne, P. (2003)

The CBD for Botanists: an introduction to the Convention on Biological Diversity for people working with botanical collections

Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Darwin Initiative. 94 pp + CD-ROM. (available in English, French and Spanish)