UNCLAS STATE 078981
SIPDIS
DOI FOR EMILY KILCREASE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD, SENV, XF
SUBJECT: CITES SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITY CAPACITY BUILDING
WORKSHOP RABAT, MOROCCO (OCTOBER 27-30, 2009)
1. This is an action request: see para 5.
2. SUMMARY: The DOI International Technical Assistance
Program (DOI-ITAP) will be conducting a four-day workshop to
build capacity within Scientific Authorities for the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in
Flora and Fauna (CITES) or equivalent authority. The
workshop will be held in Rabat, Morocco October 27-30, 2009.
Posts are asked to work with relevant environmental
ministries, agencies, or commissions to nominate the
appropriate candidates that match the target audience in para
4. END SUMMARY.
3. WORKSHOP BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION: DOI-ITAP, with
funding from the Department of State's Middle East
Partnership Initiative (MEPI), has a capacity-building
program to strengthen implementation of CITES in the Middle
East and North Africa region. This program focuses on
strengthening CITES implementing legislation, building
capacity within CITES Authorities, and building capacity
within the civil society to raise awareness of endangered
species and to manage protected areas that provide habitat
for endangered species. DOI-ITAP works closely with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the CITES Secretariat to
develop its training and capacity building activities. A
similar regional workshop was held in March 2009 in Muscat,
Oman to strengthen regional CITES Management Authorities.
The October 2009 workshop in Morocco will build upon the work
of the Oman workshop.
This four day course will address the operations of and
technical skills required for the successful functioning of
CITES Scientific Authorities. Trainers will be drawn from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's CITES divisions and from
the CITES Secretariat's Capacity Building Unit.
Course Topics Include:
a. Species Identification
b. Non-detriment findings for import/export permits
c. Species assessment for listing and de-listing
d. Trade quotas
e. Monitoring trade flows and data analysis
f. Adaptive management techniques
g. Working with customs and wildlife inspectors
h. Participating on CITES Plants and Animals Committees
i. Evaluating applications for captive breeding facilities
and cooperative breeding programs
j. Scientific collaboration on shared species
The course will be preceded by an e-learning course on basic
CITES operations.
4. TARGET AUDIENCE: The target audience for this workshop
includes technical staff currently working in the CITES
Scientific Authority for their country, or an equivalent
authority for those countries that are not party to CITES.
Post is encouraged to consult the list of designated CITES
Scientific Authorities for each country, which can be found
at http://www.cites.org/cms/index.php/lang-en/co mponent/ncd/.
If funding is available after all technical scientific staff
nominees are fully funded (per the list of available funding
below), then other government representatives and
non-government personnel will also be considered.
ACTION REQUEST:
5. Action addressees are requested to:
a) Identify candidates to participate in the course, as
follows:
- Algeria: two (2) candidates to be funded by MEPI;
- Bahrain: two (2) candidates to be funded by MEPI;
- Jordan: three (3) candidates to be funded by MEPI;
- Kuwait: one (1) candidate;
- Lebanon*: one (1) candidate to be funded by MEPI;
- Morocco (non-Rabat): five (5) candidates to be funded by
MEPI;
- Oman: three (3) candidates to be funded by MEPI;
- Qatar: one (1) candidate;
- Tunisia: two (2) candidates to be funded by MEPI;
- United Arab Emirates: one (1) candidate;
- Yemen: one (1) candidate to be funded by MEPI
* Additional funding may be available for NGO participation
from these countries.
Participants from Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco
(non-Rabat), Oman, Tunisia and Yemen will have their expenses
covered by MEPI funds. All other participants will have to
pay their own expenses. There is no registration fee for the
workshop.
b) Inform the appropriate host government agencies about the
workshop and work with them to identify appropriate
candidates. Host government agencies should submit nominees
to Post no later than COB August 20, 2009. Department
encourages posts to ensure that each applicant's past and
present performance and conduct are closely examined for
official or unofficial acts that would preclude participation
in this course, including: human rights violations;
violations of criminal statutes; any other conduct that would
call into question the applicant's honesty, integrity, or
character.
c) Cable or email the list of vetted nominated candidates and
their passport numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, and
telephone and fax numbers by COB August 20, 2009 to Embassy
Amman for the attention of Environmental Hub Officer, Manu
Bhalla. Hub Officer will forward the names of all nominated
candidates to DOI-ITAP for their consideration and possible
action. Please include Yara AbuLaban (AbulabanYM@state.gov)
Environment Development Assistant in Embassy Amman on all
correspondence. All logistics for MEPI funded candidates
will be handled by DOI-ITAP.
d) Posts are to nominate a POC for this activity for any
further queries and logistical issues related to that
country's participation. Also, please note that DOI-ITAP
will be handling all logistics for the workshop, including
assistance for both MEPI and self-funded participants.
Therefore, it is important that the Posts and DOI-ITAP
coordinate this effort together. The DOI-ITAP POC is Emily
Kilcrease (emily kilcrease@ios.doi.gov; 202-208-7103). All
costs for MEPI funded participants will be handled by
DOI-ITAP.
ADDITIONAL COURSE DETAILS:
6. The workshop will be co-hosted by the Moroccan High
Commission for Water, Forests and the Fight against
Desertification and will be conducted in French, English and
Arabic. Written workshop materials will be provided in
French, English and Arabic. The workshop will accommodate a
maximum of 25 participants, and additional participants may
be considered on a space available basis. Additional
participants will need to be responsible for their own
expenses and logistics, however.
7. For the delivery in Rabat, Morocco, participants should
plan to arrive in Rabat on October 26 and depart on
October 30 or 31, 2009. Dress for the workshop will be
"business casual".
8. If posts have any questions or need assistance, please
contact:
DOI: Emily Kilcrease
Tel: 202-208-7103
Fax: 202-501-6381
Email: emily kilcreas@ios.doi.gov
Embassy Amman Environmental Hub Officer: Manu Bhalla
Tel: 9626-590-6621
Email: BhallaM@state.gov
Embassy Amman Environment Development Assistant: Yara AbuLaban
Tel: 9626-590-6356
Email: AbuLabanYM@state.gov
Embassy Rabat EST Officer: Jai Nair
Tel: 212-537-76-22-65 x 2136
Email: NairJL@state.gov
OES/ENV : Dao Mary Do;
Tel: 202-647-4833
Email: DoD43075@state.gov
9. Department, Embassy Rabat, and USDOI appreciate the
continued efforts of Posts to make the MEPI capacity
building program a success.
CLINTON