The Secretariat shall, in close consultation with the Plants Committee, and subject to external resources:
a) review the utility and practicality of the online repository, and make recommendations on its development;
b) based on the outcomes of the review, liaise with relevant organizations and experts in the development of a depository of timber and other wood products identification resources and a dedicated webpage, taking into account the progress and recommendations reported in document PC25 Doc. 19 and its addendum;
c) in undertaking the above, consideration should be given to tailor the compilation of timber and other wood products identification resources for both frontline enforcement officers and to experts involved in identifying timber and other wood products for forensic or legal purposes; and
d) report on progress or results of this work to the Plants Committee at its first regular meeting after CoP19 and seek its advice and input.
19.145 to 19.148 Identification of timber and other wood products
19.145
Decision directed to:
Secretariat, in close consultation with the Plants Committee
19.146
Decision directed to:
Parties
Parties are encouraged to collaborate with the Secretariat in sharing relevant information in support of the implementation of Decisions 19.145 and 19.147.
19.147
Decision directed to:
Plants Committee, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders
The Plants Committee shall, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and building on information on existing initiatives, and progress to date:
a) develop a plan to prioritize the CITES-listed tree species to focus global efforts on developing and sharing identification reference databases and tools, including sampling campaigns for vouchered reference samples;
b) prioritize the development of identification material for Dalbergia species, taking into consideration progress made in document PC25 Doc. 34 and document CoP19 Doc. 84.1, and giving attention to frontline identification materials to assist differentiating look-alike species that may not be of conservation concern, such as Dalbergia sissoo;
c) develop a list of available techniques and tools, and evaluate their standards and usefulness to species-specific identification and enforcement for CITES-listed tree species and their look-alikes;
d) determine gaps in current knowledge sources for CITES timber identification, on their availability and usefulness, and consider challenges and resourcing required to make these tools more widely available to CITES Parties;
e) develop standardized information templates and other tools that could be used by Parties to facilitate sharing information on the content and status of wood sample collections, and exchange with research institutions, law enforcement agencies, and other authorities;
f) determine methods to stimulate global, regional and national exchange of best practices in wood identification technologies between Parties, including lessons learned on how Parties have built their timber identification capacity and expertise;
g) review the utility and practicality of the online repository and make recommendations on its development to inform implementation of Decision 19.145;
h) consider the relevant outcomes of the online Task Force meeting on illegal trade in specimens of CITES-listed tree species presented in the Annex to the Addendum to document SC74 Doc. 33.2; and
i) update the Standing Committee, as appropriate, on progress made, and report its findings and recommendations for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its 20th meeting.
19.148
Decision directed to:
Standing Committee
The Standing Committee shall consider any report by the Plants Committee relating to the implementation of Decision 19.147 and convey, as appropriate, any recommendations it may have to the Conference of the Parties.