US embassy cable - 05PARIS4881

UNCLAS PARIS 004881 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
 
E.O. 12958:    N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, SENV, SOCI, TBIO, UK, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: USUNESCO: UK ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS PROGRAMS HELP 
HALT LOSS OF PLANT DIVERSITY 
 
 
1. Summary: At a July 11 UNESCO presentation, UK 
representatives of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew ("Kew 
Gardens") summarized the scientific and cultural 
significance of Kew Gardens and reviewed its current 
programs, especially those helping halt the loss of plant 
diversity.  End summary. 
 
2. This cable is distributed to all embassies in capitals of 
UNESCO Member States so as to help re-build USG 
institutional knowledge about UNESCO.  The USG decided to 
resume full membership status in UNESCO in October 2003, 
following a nineteen-year absence.  The USG decision was 
grounded in a desire to participate more fully in UNESCO's 
important programs, especially in education, and on the 
finding that significant reforms had taken place at UNESCO. 
 
3.  At a July 11 meeting at Paris UNESCO headquarters, 
Professor Sir Peter Crane, the Director of Kew Gardens, 
reviewed the history of Kew Gardens, which was created in 
1759 and inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 2003 
because of its significance in the fields of botany, 
ecology, landscape and architecture. 
 
He focused on four aspects of the Kew Gardens program: 
 
--The U.K. Overseas Territory Program, which provides 
scientific/horticultural training of local counterparts; 
-- Drylands work (especially in Africa) to combat 
desertification and exploitation of plant species; 
-- Wet tropics work (especially in Africa and Southeast 
Asia); and 
-- Strengthening capacity in developing countries through 
global partnerships 
 
Crane emphasized that Kew Gardens intends to continue to 
connect its work with key development needs (water, energy, 
health, agriculture, etc.) 
 
4. The Kew Gardens focus on education, training and capacity 
building includes: informal education (visitors), school 
education, adult education, formal and informal 
individualized training (volunteers, students, etc.) and 
formal courses (diplomas in plant conservation strategies, 
botanic garden management, etc.)  Kew Gardens also makes a 
particular effort to educate children. 
 
5. Professor Crane described the Millennium Seed Bank 
Project, a global conservation program that collects and 
conserves both seeds and living species in partnership with 
scientists and institutions throughout the world.  Project 
partnerships in arid and semi-arid countries focus on 
collection and conservation of dryland plant species and 
strengthening in-country capacity for seed banking. 
 
6.  Crane said that all exchanges of plant genetic resources 
that take place between Kew Gardens and its partners are 
governed by legally binding formal access and benefit- 
sharing agreements in conformity with national legislation 
in each participating country. 
 
7. During the discussion session, questions were posed 
concerning several different issues, including: the size of 
the organization (600 people with a budget of 19 million, 
primarily funded by the U.K. government); how Kew Gardens 
can directly aid countries that are interested in preserving 
plant life (Kew Gardens offers training and capacity 
building for emerging scientists on plant conservation 
techniques, sustainable use of plant resources, etc.); how 
Kew Gardens is involved in climate change issues (Kew 
Gardens is not focused or directly involved in climate 
change, although more can be done in this area - climate 
change is another rationale for seed banking); and what can 
be done about the problem of invasive species (an 
appropriate program of management is necessary to control 
invasive species). 
 
8.  Comment.  This successful event shows that UNESCO works 
well when it serves as a forum for exchanges of scientific 
information.  For example, the Afghan UNESCO Ambassador 
expressed his gratitude for the information he received 
during this event about technical and training assistance 
that could help revitalize plant life in his badly damaged 
country.  End comment. 
 
Koss