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PRESS ADVISORY

Earth Council e-Learning and CITES establish new partnership

Geneva, 20 February 2006 – Earth Council e-Learning and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop online courses on the regulation of wildlife trade for CITES Management Authorities and stakeholders. The courses are scheduled to begin in Spring 2006.

CITES is an international treaty aimed at ensuring that trade in species of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The treaty safeguards more than 30,000 species, ranging from live animals and plants to an array of wildlife products, such as timber, medicine and food products. The CITES Secretariat carries out a wide range of capacity-building and strategic activities, including research, communication and training.

Mr Stephen Nash, Chief of the Capacity Building Unit of the CITES Secretariat, explained that "The CITES Secretariat is working with Earth Council e-Learning in the establishment of a Web-based open-learning programme to enhance national capacities to implement CITES. Composed of interactive online courses for CITES authorities, the open-learning programme will seek to reach a global audience in a cost-effective and comprehensive manner. In an effort to ensure full participation of those Parties lacking access to new information technologies, the courses will also be made available through CD-ROM and other media."

“We are very excited about collaborating with CITES to further the cause of sustainable development. Building on CITES depth of knowledge and expertise, our state-of-the-art e-learning technology will enable us to build capacity globally,” stated Mr Gao Pronove, Executive Director of Earth Council e-Learning.

Earth Council e-Learning is a Geneva-based NGO that aims to promote a more equitable, secure and sustainable future by harnessing the power of e-learning to deliver educational programmes on topics of global importance, such as climate change, global trade, biodiversity and sustainability. Earth Council e-Learning recruits experts worldwide to deliver quality education and training to representatives of government, international organizations, civil society, business, the media and other stakeholders.

For more information: Contact Marcos Silva at +41-22-917-8120 or marcos.silva@unep.ch; or Gina Vea at +41 (0)76 421 49 66 or gina.vea@earthcouncil.com.

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