Dubai Customs and the International Fund for Animal Welfare sign MoU

Dubai, May 21, 2012 (WAM) - Dubai Customs inked Sunday, a cooperative agreement with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) aiming at joint coordination between the two sides over a number of fields particularly in the area of customs training on combat of smuggling endangered fauna and flora, exchange of information and expertise and benefiting from the facilities and capabilities available to IFAW. The signature of this agreement came as part of Dubai Customs` awareness campaign about endangered species organised within the framework of the exhibition held by Dubai Customs over one week in Mirdif City Centre displaying samples and models of some endangered species. The Agreement was signed in Mirdif City Centre by Feryal Tawakul, Executive Director of Community Affairs and Government Partnership Division and Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Ahmed Mohammed, Director of the Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa in IFWA. "The agreement aims at enhancing the efforts to protect endangered fauna and flora, supporting legitimate trade worldwide, strengthening cooperation and mutual relations between Dubai Customs and IFAW and proceeding with developing and diversifying specialised training programmes at Customs Training Centre in such a way that will contribute to develop human resources competency and improving wild and tame animals` life through minimising commercial utilisation of such animals," said Ms. Tawakul. "The cooperative agreement provides for the coordination between the two sides over preparing and implementing a training programme for Dubai Customs inspectors on combating illegitimate international trading in wild life, implementing the Convention on International Trading In Endangered Species (CITES), selecting efficient trainers by IFAW to conduct such training and providing the information on protecting and safeguarding wild life. The agreement provides as well for the joint coordination between the two parties over organising specialised educational and awareness events in connection with wild life. "Dubai Customs always directs its staff and enhances their abilities towards conserving nature and wildlife and protecting endangered species from illegal trading in cooperation with its local and international clients on top of which is the Ministry of Water and environment, and the World Customs Organisation" Ms. Tawakul pointed out. Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Ahmed, the Director of the Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa praised Dubai Customs' continuing effort to foil attempts to smuggle and illegally trade in endangered fauna and flora specially that Dubai Customs is a contracting party to the CITES. "The existing joint coordination between the two sides is continuing in different areas and the MOU will support the specialised training programmes for Dubai Customs` inspectors," Ahmed said. – Emirates News Agency, WAM