7 June 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has announced the launch of the CITES Virtual College, a portal to training, educational materials and expertise related to the Convention. The Virtual College is the first such portal for a multilateral environmental agreement (MEA).

The Virtual College is available in the three working languages of the Convention and composed of interactive courses, a library and a training centre. Experts on CITES-related issues will be invited to provide lectures via video and to advise students on questions related to their course work. Students in the Virtual College can join forums and other social networking tools to establish communities of practice.

The Secretariat encourages CITES Authorities to enroll in the courses and to make use of the training and materials available through the Virtual College, and invites: people associated with CITES Authorities or from governments to take advantage of the training support offered by the Secretariat; and the general CITES community, other MEAs, students and the public to make use of the College as guests.

The CITES Virtual College is hosted by the International University of Andalusia, and supported by the EU among others. [CITES Press Release] [CITES Virtual College] [Redesigned CITES Website]