Dubai Customs organizes a training course about the CITES Convention for Customs inspectors

In collobaroation with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and with the participation of 33 inspectors from different Customs Centers, Dubai Customs organized a three days training course about CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

The three days training course program comes within a series of training and workshops programs being organized by Dubai Customs with the objective of raising awareness of customs inspectors about international agreements and improving their inspection skills in dealing with endangered fauna and flora related seizures as to achieve Dubai Customs` strategic visionon supporting legitimate international trade and enhancing Dubai`s  image worldwide.

During the three days training program inspectors were trainedon how to deal with endangered fauna and flora globallyas provided for by local and regional legislations together with theArticles of CITES to which UAE accessed in 1990.

This include  means guaranteeing the protection of such endangered specimens through permits and certification system being issued under certain conditions by the competent authorities at  every CITES` contracting party where no specimen listed in the said convention or products thereof shall be exported or imported only within the existence of “CITES required certification”.

The Cooperative Memorandum of Understanding inkedearlier by Dubai Customs aims at  training 1000 inspection officersthroughout the year in order to raise their awareness about CITES and supporting the concept of Green Customs within the framework of Dubai Customs` efforts to enhance its human capabilities` skills and competencies towards the protection of environment and conserving the wild life together with combating trading in endangered fauna and flora specimens in collaboration with its local and external stakeholders led by the Ministry of Environment and Water and World Customs Organization.

It is worth to mention that Dubai Customs in May has concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation with the International fund for Animal Welfare with aim of jointly coordinating in different fields, specifically in the fields of Customs inspectors on combating smuggling operations ofendangered fauna and flora specimens, exchanging information and expertise along with making use of capabilities and facilities of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.